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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/16259-h.zip b/16259-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..2496ab3 --- /dev/null +++ b/16259-h.zip diff --git a/16259-h/16259-h.htm b/16259-h/16259-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..834a419 --- /dev/null +++ b/16259-h/16259-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,2407 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> +<html> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1"> +<title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Surprising Adventures of the Magical Monarch of Mo and His People, by L. Frank Baum</title> +<style type="text/css"> + body { font-size:14pt; margin-left:10%; margin-right:10% } + .b1 { font-size:18pt } + .b2 { font-size:20pt } + .b3 { font-size:22pt } + hr { width: 100%; + height: 5px; } + a:link {color:blue; + text-decoration:none} + link {color:blue; + text-decoration:none} + a:visited {color:blue; + text-decoration:none} + a:hover {color:red} + pre {font-size: 8pt;} +</style> +</head> +<body> +<h1 align="center">The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Surprising Adventures of the Magical +Monarch of Mo and His People, by L. Frank Baum, Illustrated by Frank Ver +Beck</h1> +<pre> +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at <a href = "https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a></pre> +<p>Title: The Surprising Adventures of the Magical Monarch of Mo and His People</p> +<p>Author: L. Frank Baum</p> +<p>Release Date: July 10, 2005 [eBook #16259]</p> +<p>Language: English</p> +<p>Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1</p> +<p>***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SURPRISING ADVENTURES OF THE MAGICAL MONARCH OF MO AND HIS PEOPLE***</p> +<br><br><center><h3>E-text prepared by Michael Gray (Lost_Gamer@comcast.net)</h3></center><br><br> +<hr noshade> +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<p align="center"><span class="b1">The Suprising Adventures of</span><br><br><span class="b3">The +Magical Monarch of Mo</span><br><br><span class="b1">And His People</span><br><br><span class="b2">by +L. FRANK BAUM</span><br><br><span class="b1"><i><b>W</b>ith pictures by Frank Ver +Beck</i> +<br><br><br> +1903</span><br><br><br><br><img src="images/title.jpg" alt="The Magical Monarch of +Mo"><br><br><br><br><span class="b1"><b>To the Comrade of my<br><br>boyhood days<br><br>Dr. Henry Clay +Baum</b></span></p><br><p><img src="images/toread.jpg" alt="To the Reader" align="left"><b><span +class="b3">T</span>HIS</b> book has been written for children. I have no shame in acknowledging that +I, who wrote it, am also a child; for since I can remember my eyes have always grown big at tales of +the marvelous, and my heart is still accustomed to go pit-a-pat when I read of impossible adventures. +It is the nature of children to scorn realities, which crowd into their lives all too quickly with +advancing years. Childhood is the time for fables, for dreams, for joy.<br><br>These stories are not +true; they could no be true and be so marvelous. No one is expected to believe them; they were meant +to excite laughter and to gladden the heart.<br><br>Perhaps some of those big, grown-up people will +poke fun of us—at you for reading these nonsense tales of the Magical Monarch, and at me for +writing them. Never mind. Many of the big folk are still children—even as you and I. We cannot +measure a child by a standard of size or age. The big folk who are children will be our comrades; the +others we need not consider at all, for they are self-exiled from our domain.</p><p +align="right"><font size="+1">L. FRANK BAUM.</font></p><p><font size="-1">June, 1903.</font></p><p +align="center"><img src="images/book.jpg" alt="The reader and the book"></p><br><br><br> + +<table width="100%"><tr><th align="center"><img src="images/cont.jpg" alt="Contents"><th> <tr><th +align="center" width="100%">THE FIRST SURPRISE<th rowspan="42"><img src="images/doncon.jpg" alt="The +Wise Donkey"><tr><th><a href="#chapter1">The Beautiful Valley of Mo</a><tr><th> <tr><th>THE +SECOND SURPRISE<tr><th><a href="#chapter2">The Strange Adventures of the King's +Head</a><tr><th> <tr><th>THE THIRD SURPRISE<tr><th><a href="#chapter3">The Tramp Dog and the +Monarch's Lost Temper</a><tr><th> <tr><th>THE FOURTH SURPRISE<tr><th><a href="#chapter4">The +Peculiar Pains of Fruit Cake Island</a><tr><th> <tr><th>THE FIFTH SURPRISE<tr><th><a +href="#chapter5">The Monarch Celebrates His Birthday</a><tr><th> <tr><th>THE SIXTH +SURPRISE<tr><th><a href="#chapter6">King Scowleyow and His Cast-Iron Man</a><tr><th> <tr><th>THE +SEVENTH SURPRISE<tr><th><a href="#chapter7">Timtom and the Princess +Pattycake</a><tr><th> <tr><th>THE EIGHTH SURPRISE<tr><th><a href="#chapter8">The Bravery of +Prince Jollikin</a><tr><th> <tr><th>THE NINTH SURPRISE<tr><th><a href="#chapter9">The Wizard and +the Princess</a><tr><th> <tr><th>THE TENTH SURPRISE<tr><th><a href="#chapter10">The Duchess +Bredenbutta's Visit to Turvyland</a><tr><th> <tr><th>THE ELEVENTH SURPRISE<tr><th><a +href="#chapter11">Prince Fiddlecumdoo and the Giant</a><tr><th> <tr><th>THE TWELFTH +SURPRISE<tr><th><a href="#chapter12">The Land of the Civilized Monkeys</a><tr><th> <tr><th>THE +THIRTEENTH SURPRISE<tr><th><a href="#chapter13">The Stolen Plum-Pudding</a><tr><th> <tr><th>THE +FOURTEENTH SURPRISE<tr><th><a href="#chapter14">The Punishment of the Purple +Dragon</a></table><br><br><br><br> + +<table width="100%" border="0"><tr><th width="100%" align="center" class="b1"><i>The First +Surprise</i><br><br>THE BEAUTIFUL VALLEY<br>OF MO<th><a name="chapter1"><img src="images/hattre.jpg" +alt="The Hat Tree" align="right"></a></table><p><img src="images/idesay.jpg" alt="I dare say"> there +are several questions you would like to ask at the very beginning of this history. First: Who is the +Monarch of Mo? And why is he called the Magical Monarch? And where <i>is</i> Mo, anyhow? And why have +you never heard of it before? And can it be reached by a railroad or a trolley-car, or must one walk +all the way?<br><br>These questions I realize should be answered before we (that "we" means you and +the book) can settle down for a comfortable reading of all the wonders and astonishing adventures I +shall endeavor faithfully to relate.<br><br>In the first place, the Monarch of Mo is a very pleasant +personage holding the rank of King. He is not very tall, nor is he very short; he is midway between +fat and lean; he is delightfully jolly when he is not sad, and seldom sad if he can possibly be jolly. +How old he may be I have never dared to inquire; but when we realize that he is destined to live as +long as the Valley of Mo exists we may reasonably suppose the Monarch of Mo is exactly as old as his +native land. And no one in Mo has ever reckoned up the years to see how many they have been. So we +will just say that the Monarch of Mo and the Valley of Mo are each a part of the other, and can not be +separated.<br><br>He is not called the Magical Monarch because he deals in magic—for he doesn't +deal in magic. But he leads such a queer life in such a queer country that his history will surely +seem magical to us who inhabit the civilized places of the world and think that anything we can not +find a reason for must be due to magic. The life of the Monarch of Mo seems simple enough to him, you +may be sure, for he knows no other existence. And our ways of living, could he know of them, would +doubtless astonish him greatly.<br><br>The land of Mo, which is ruled by the King we call the Magical +Monarch, is often spoken of as the "Beautiful Valley." If they would only put it on the maps of our +geographies and paint it pink or light green, and print a big round dot where the King's castle +stands, it would be easy enough to point out to you its exact location. But I can not find the Valley +of Mo in any geography I have examined; so I suspect the men who made these instructive books really +know nothing about Mo, else it would surely be on the maps.<br><br>Of one thing I am certain: that no +other country included in the maps is so altogether delightful as the Beautiful Valley of +Mo.<br><br>The sun shines all the time, and its rays are perfumed. The people who live in the Valley +do not sleep, because there is no night. Everything they can possibly need grows on the trees, so they +have no use for money at all, and that saves them a deal of worry.<br><br>There are no poor people in +this quaint Valley. When a person desires a new hat he waits till one is ripe, and then picks it and +wears it without asking anybody's permission. If a lady wishes a new ring, she examines carefully +those upon the ring-tree, and when she finds one that fits her finger she picks it and wears it upon +her hand. In this way they procure all they desire.</p><p align="center"><img src="images/ring.jpg" +alt=""When she finds one that fits her hand she picks it and wears it.""></p><p>There are +two rivers in the Land of Mo, one of which flows milk of a very rich quality. Some of the islands in +Milk River are made of excellent cheese, and the people are welcome to spade up this cheese whenever +they wish to eat it. In the little pools near the bank, where the current does not flow swiftly, +delicious cream rises to the top of the milk, and instead of water-lilies great strawberry leaves grow +upon the surface, and the ripe, red berries lie dipping their noses into the cream, as if inviting you +to come and eat them. The sand that forms the river bank is pure white sugar, and all kinds of candies +and bonbons grow thick on the low bushes, so that any one may pluck them easily.<br><br>These are only +a few of the remarkable things that exist in the Beautiful Valley.<br><br>The people are merry, light- +hearted folk, who live in beautiful houses of pure crystal, where they can rest themselves and play +their games and go in when it rains. For it rains in Mo as it does everywhere else, only it rains +lemonade; and the lightning in the sky resembles the most beautiful fireworks; and the thunder is +usually a chorus from the opera of Tannhauser.<br><br>No one ever dies in this Valley, and the people +are always young and beautiful. There is the King and a Queen, besides several princes and princesses. +But it is not much use being a prince in Mo, because the King can not die; therefore a prince is a +prince to the end of his days, and his days never end.<br><br>Strange things occur in this strange +land, as you may imagine; and while I relate some of these you will learn more of the peculiar +features of the Beautiful Valley.</p><p align="center"><img src="images/mo.jpg" alt="A person in +Mo"><br><br><br><br> + +<p align="center" class="b1"><a name="chapter2"><i>The Second Surprise</i></a><br>THE STRANGE +ADVENTURES OF THE<br>KING'S HEAD</p><br><p align="center"><img src="images/pdrag1.jpg" alt="The Purple +Dragon"><br><span class="b2">THE STRANGE ADVENTURES<br>OF THE KING'S +HEAD</span></p><br><br><p><b><span class="b3">A</span> GOOD</b> many years ago, the Magical Monarch of +Mo became annoyed by the Purple Dragon, which came down from the mountains and ate up a patch of his +best chocolate caramels just as they were getting ripe.<br><br>So the King went out to the sword-tree +and picked a long, sharp sword, and tied it to his belt and went away to the mountains to fight the +Purple Dragon.</p><p align="center"><img src="images/dragfi.jpg" alt=""The King had a terrible +fight with the Purple Dragon.""><p>The people all applauded him, saying one to +another:<br><br>"Our King is a good King. He will destroy this naughty Purple Dragon and we shall be +able to eat the caramels ourselves."<br><br>But the Dragon was not alone naughty; it was big, and +fierce, and strong, and did not want to be destroyed at all.<br><br>Therefore the King had a terrible +fight with the Purple Dragon and cut it with his sword in several places, so that the raspberry juice +which ran in its veins squirted all over the ground.<br><br>It is always difficult to kill Dragons. +They are by nature thick-skinned and tough, as doubtless every one has heard. Besides, you must not +forget that this was a Purple Dragon, and all scientists who have studied deeply the character of +Dragons say those of a purple color at the most disagreeable to fight with. So all the King's cutting +and slashing had no effect upon the monster other than to make him angry. Forgetful of the respect due +to a crowned King, the wicked Dragon presently opening wide its jaws and bit his Majesty's head clean +off his body. Then he swallowed it.<br><br>Of course the King realized it was useless to continue to +fight after that, for he could not see where the Dragon was. SO he turned and tried to find his way +back to his people. But at every other step he would bump into a tree, which made the naughty Dragon +laugh at him. Furthermore, he could not tell in which direction he was going, which is an unpleasant +feeling under any circumstances.<br><br>At last some of the people came to see if the King had +succeeded in destroying the Dragon, and found their monarch running around in a circle, bumping into +trees and rocks, but not getting a step nearer home. So they took his hand and led him back to the +palace, where every one was filled with sorrow at the sad sight of the headless King. Indeed, his +devoted subjects, for the first time in their lives, came as near to weeping as an inhabitant of the +Valley of Mo can.<br><br>"Never mind," said the King, cheerfully; "I can get along very well without a +head; and, as a matter of fact, the loss has its advantages. I shall not be obliged to brush my hair, +or clean my teeth, or wash my ears. So do not grieve, I beg of you, but be happy and joyful as you +were before." Which showed the King had a good heart; and, after all, a good heart is better than a +head, any say.<br><br>The people, hearing him speak out of his neck (for he had no mouth), immediately +began to laugh, which in a short time led to their being as happy as ever.<br><br>But the Queen was +not contented.<br><br>"My love," she said to him, "I can not kiss you any more, and that will break my +heart."<br><br>Thereupon the King sent word throughout the Valley that any one who could procure for +him a new head should wed one of the princesses.<br><br><img src="images/cesses.jpg" align="right" +alt="The princesses">The princesses were all exceedingly pretty girls, and so it was not long before +one man made a very nice head out of candy and brought it to the King. It did not look exactly like +the old head, but the efface was very sweet, nevertheless; so the King put it on and the Queen kissed +it at once with much satisfaction.<br><br>The young man had put a pair of glass eyes in the head, with +which the King could see very well after he got used to them.<br><br>According to the royal promise, +the young man was now called into the palace and asked to take his pick of the princesses. There were +all so sweet and lady-like that he had some trouble in making a choice; but at last he took the +biggest, thinking that he would thus secure the greatest reward, and they were married amid great +rejoicing.<br><br>But, a few days afterward, the King was caught out in a rainstorm, and before he +could get home his new head had melted in the great shower of lemonade that fell. Only the glass eyes +were left, and these he put in his pocket and went sorrowfully to tell the Queen of his new +misfortune.<br><br><img src="images/headod.jpg" align="left" alt="The head of dough">Then another +young man who wanted to marry a princess made the King a head out of dough, sticking in it the glass +eyes; and the King tried it on and found that it fitted very well. So the young man was given the next +biggest princess.<br><br>But the following day the sun chance to shine extremely hot, and when the +King walked out it baked his dough head into bread, at which the monarch felt very light-headed. And +when the birds saw the bread they flew down from the trees, perched upon the King's shoulder and +quickly ate up his new head. All but the glass eyes.<img src="images/batkdh.jpg" align="right" +alt="The birds ate the King's dough head"><br><br>Again the good King was forced to go home to the +Queen without a head, and the lady firmly declared that this time her husband must have a head +warranted to last at least as long as the honeymoon of the young man who made it; which was not at all +unreasonable under the circumstances.<br><br>So a request was sent to all loyal subjects throughout +the Valley asking them to find a head for their King that was neat and substantial.<br><br>In the +meantime the King had a rather hard time of it. When he wished to go any place he was obliged to hold +out in front of him, between his thumbs and fingers, the glass eyes, that they might guide his +footsteps. This, as you may imagine, made his Majesty look rather undignified, and dignity is very +important to every royal personage.<br><br>At last a wood-chopper in the mountains made a head out of +wood and sent it to the King. It was neatly carved, besides being solid and durable; moreover, it +fitted the monarch's neck to the T. So the King rummaged in his pocket and found the glass eyes, and +when these were put in the new head the King announced his satisfaction.<br><br>There was only one +drawback—he couldn't smile, as the wooden face was too stiff; and it was funny to hear his +Majesty laughing heartily while his face maintained a solemn expression. But the glass eyes twinkled +merrily and every one knew that he was the same kind-hearted monarch of old, although he had become, +of necessity, rather hard-headed.<br><br>Then the King sent word to the wood-chopper to come to the +palace and take his pick of the princesses, and preparations were at once begun for the +wedding.<br><br>But the wood-chopper, on his way to the court, unfortunately passed by the dwelling of +the Purple Dragon and stopped to speak to the monster.<br><br>Now it seems that when the Dragon had +swallowed the King's head, the unusual meal made the beast ill. It was more accustomed to berries and +caramels for dinner than to heads, and the sharp points of the King's crown (which was firmly fastened +to the head) pricked the Dragon's stomach and made the creature miserable. After a few days of +suffering the Dragon disgorged the head, and, not knowing what else to do with it, locked it up in a +cupboard and put the key in its pocket.<br><br>When the Dragon met the wood-chopper and learned he had +made a new head for the King, and as a reward was to wed one of the princesses, the monster became +very angry. It resolved to do a wicked thing; which will not surprise you when you remember the +beast's purple color.<br><br>"Step into my parlor and rest yourself," said the Dragon, politely. +Wicked people are most polite when they mean mischief.<br><br>"Thank you, I'll stop for a few +minutes," replied the wood-chopper; "but I can not stay long, as I am expected at court."<br><br>When +he had entered the parlor the Dragon suddenly opened its mouth and snapped off the poor wood-chopper's +head. Being warned by experience, however, it did not swallow the head, but placed it in the cupboard. +Then the Dragon took from a shelf the King's head and glued it on the wood-chopper's +neck.<br><br>"Now," said the beast, with a cruel laugh, "you are the King! Go home and claim your wife +and your kingdom."<br><br>The poor wood-chopper was much amazed; for at first he did not really know +which he was, the King or the wood-chopper.<br><br>He looked in the mirror and, seeing the King, made +a low bow. Then the King's head thought: "Who am I bowing to? There is no one greater than the King!" +And so at once there began a conflict between the wood-chopper's heart and the King's head.<br><br>The +Dragon was mightily pleased at the result of its wicked stratagem, and having pushed the bewildered +wood-chopper out of the castle, immediately sent him on his way to the court.<br><br>When the poor man +neared the town the people ran out and said: "Why, this is the King come back again. All hail, your +Majesty!"<br><br>"All nonsense!" returned the wood-chopper. "I am only a poor man with the King's head +on my shoulders. You can easily see it isn't mine, for it's crooked; the Dragon didn't glue it on +straight."<br><br>"Where, then, is your own head?" they asked.<br><br>"Locked up in the Dragon's +cupboard," replied the poor fellow, beginning to weep.<br><br>"Here," cried the King's head; "stop +this. You mustn't cry out of my eyes! The King never weeps."<br><br>"I beg pardon, your Majesty," said +the wood-chopper, meekly, "I'll not do it again."<br><br>"Well, see that you don't," returned the head +more cheerfully.<br><br>The people were greatly amazed at this, and took the wood-chopper to the +palace, where all was soon explained.<br><br>When the Queen saw the King's head she immediately kissed +it; but the King rebuked her, saying she must kiss only him.<br><br>"But it is your head," said the +poor Queen.<br><br>"Probably it is," replied the King; "but it is on another man. You must confine +yourself to kissing my wooden head."<br><br>"I'm sorry," sighed the Queen, "for I like to kiss the +real head best."<br><br>"And so you shall," said the King's head; "I don't approve your kissing that +wooden head at all."<br><br><img src="images/heads.jpg" align="right" alt=""The poor lady looked +from one head to another in perplexity"">The poor lady looked from one to the other in +perplexity. Finally a happy thought occurred to her.<br><br>"Why don't you trade heads?" she +asked.<br><br>"Just the thing!" cried the King; and, the wood-chopper consenting, the exchange was +made, and the Monarch of Mo found himself in possession of his own head again, whereat he was so +greatly pleased that he laughed long and merrily.<br><br>The wood-chopper, however, did not even +smile. He couldn't because of the wooden face. The head he had made for the King he now was compelled +to wear himself.<br><br>"Bring hither the princesses," commanded the King. "This good man shall choose +his bride at once, for he has restored to me my own head."<br><br>But when the princesses arrived and +saw that the wood-chopper had a wooden head, they each and all refused to marry him, and begged so +hard to escape that the King was in a quandary.<br><br>"I promised him one of my daughters," he +argued, "and a King never breaks his word."<br><br>"But he hadn't a wooden head then," explained one +of the girls.<br><br>The King realized the truth of this. Indeed, when he came to look carefully at +the wooden head, he did not blame his daughters for not wishing to marry it. Should he force one of +them to consent, it was not unlikely she would call her husband a blockhead—a term almost +certain to cause trouble in any family.<br><br>After giving the matter deep thought, the King resolved +to go to the Purple Dragon and oblige it to give up the wood-chopper's head.<br><br>So all the +fighting men in the kingdom were got together, and, having picked ripe swords off the sword-trees, +they marched in a great body to the Dragon's castle.<br><br>Now the Purple Dragon realized that if it +attempted to fight all this army, it would perhaps be cut to pieces; so it retired within its castle +and refused to come out.<br><br>The wood-chopper was a brave man.<br><br>"I'll go in and fight the +Dragon alone," he said; and in he went. By this time the Dragon was both frightened and angry, and the +moment it saw the man it rushed forward and made a snap at his head.<br><br>The wooden head came off +at once, and the Dragon's long, sharp teeth got stuck in the wood and would not come out again; so the +monster was unable to do anything but flop its tail and groan.<br><br>The wood-chopper now ran to the +cupboard, took out his head and placed it upon his shoulders where it belonged. Then he proudly walked +out of the castle and was greeted with loud shouts by the army, which carried him back in triumph to +the King's palace.<br><br>And, now that he wore his own head again, one of the prettiest of the young +princesses willingly agreed to marry him; so the wedding ceremony was performed amidst great +rejoicing.</p><p align="center"><img src="images/marryw.jpg" alt="The wood-chopper marries a +princess"><br><br><img src="images/pdrag2.jpg" alt="The Purple Dragon"></p><br><br><br><br> + +<p align="center" class="b1"><a name="chapter3"><i>The Third Surprise</i></a><br>THE TRAMP DOG +AND<br>THE MONARCH'S LOST TEMPER</p><br><p align="center"><img src="images/dog.jpg" alt="The Monarch +walking with and like a dog"><br><span class="b2">THE TRAMP DOG AND THE<br>MONARCH'S LAST +TEMPER</span></p><br><br><p><b><span class="b3">O</span>NE</b> day the Monarch of Mo, having nothing +better to do, resolved to go hunting blackberries among the bushes that grew at the foot of the +mountains.<br><br>So he put on an old crown that would not get tarnished if it rained, and, having +found a tin pail in the pantry, started off without telling any one where he was going.<br><br>For +some distance the path was a nice, smooth taffy, that was very agreeable to walk on; but as he got +nearer the mountains the ground became gravelly, the stones being jackson-balls and gum-drops; so that +his boots, which were a little green when he picked them, began to hurt his feet.<br><br>But the King +was not easily discouraged, and kept on until he found the blackberry bushes, when he immediately +began to fill his pail, the berries being remarkably big and sweet.<br><br>While thus occupied he +heard a sound of footsteps coming down the mountain side, and presently a little dog ran out from the +bushes and trotted up to him.<br><br>Now there were no dogs at all in Mo, and the King had never seen +a creature like this before; therefore he was greatly surprised, and said:<br><br>"What are you, and +where do you come from?"<br><br>The dog also was surprised at this question, and looked suspiciously +at the King's tin pail; for many times wicked boys had tied such a pail to the end of his tail. In +fact, that was the reason he had run away from home and found his way, by accident, to the Valley of +Mo.<br><br>"My name is Prince," replied the gravely; "and I have come from a country beyond the +mountains and the desert."<br><br>"Indeed! are you in truth a prince?" exclaimed the monarch; "then +you will be welcome in my kingdom, where we always treat nobility with proper respect. But why do you +have four feet?"<br><br>"Because six would be too many," replied the dog.<br><br>"But I have only +two," said the King.<br><br>"I am sorry," said the dog, who was something of a wag, "because where I +come from it is more fashionable to walk on four feet."<br><br>"I like to be in the fashion," remarked +the King, thoughtfully; "but what am I to do, having only two legs?"<br><br>"Why, I suppose you could +walk on your hands and feet," returned the dog with a laugh.<br><br>"So I will," said the King, being +pleased with the idea; "and you shall come to the palace with me and teach me all the fashions of the +country from whence you came."<br><br>The King got down on his hands and knees, and was delighted to +find he could get along in this way very nicely.<br><br>"How am I to carry my pail?" he +asked.<br><br>"In your mouth, of course," replied the dog. This suggestion seeming a happy one, the +King took the pail in his mouth and they started back toward the palace. But when his Majesty came to +the gum-drops and jackson-balls they hurt his hands and knees, so that he groaned aloud. But the dog +only laughed. Finally they reached a place where it was quite muddy. Of course the mud was only jelly, +but it hadn't dried up since the last rain. The dog jumped over the place nimbly enough, but when the +King tried to do likewise he failed, and came down into the jelly with both hands and knees, and stuck +fast.<br><br><img src="images/spill.jpg" align="left" alt="The Monarch spills his berries">Now the +monarch had a very good temper, which he carried in his vest pocket; but as he passed over the gum- +drop pebbles on his hands and knees this temper dropped out of his pocket, and, having lost it, he +became very angry at the dog for getting him into such a scrape.<br><br><img src="images/kchase.jpg" +align="right" alt="The Monarch chases the dog">So he began to scold, and when he opened his mouth the +pail dropped out and the berries were all spilled. This made the dog laugh more than ever, at which +the King pulled himself out of the jelly, jumped to his feet, and began to chase the dog as fast as he +could. Finally the dog climbed a tall tree where the King could not reach him, and when safe among the +branches he looked down and said: "See how foolish a man becomes who tries to be in fashion rather +than live as nature intended he should! You can no more be a dog than I can be a king; so hereafter, +if you are wise, you will be content to walk on two legs."<br><br>"There is much truth in what you +say," replied the Monarch of Mo. "Come with me to the palace, and you shall be forgiven; indeed, we +shall have a fine feast in honor of your arrival."<br><br>So the dog climbed down from the tree and +followed the King to the palace, where all the courtiers were astonished to see so queer an animal, +and made a great favorite of him.</p><p align="center"><img src="images/ascour.jpg" alt=""All the +courtiers were astonished to see so queer an animal.""></p><p>After dinner the King invited the +dog to take a walk around the grounds of the royal mansion, and they started out merrily enough. But +the King's boots had begun to hurt him again; for, as they did not fit, being picked green, they had +rubbed his toes until he had corns on them. So when they reached the porch in front of the palace the +King asked:<br><br>"My friend, what is good for corns?"<br><br>"Tight boots," replied the dog, +laughing; "but they are not very good for your feet."<br><br>Now the King, not yet having found his +lost temper, became exceedingly angry at this poor jest; so he rushed at the dog and gave it a +tremendous kick.<br><br>Up into the air like a ball flew the dog, while the King, having hurt his toe +by the kick, sat down on the door-step and nursed his foot while he watched the dog go farther and +farther up, until it seemed like a tiny speck against the blue of the sky.<br><br>"I must have kicked +harder than I thought," said the King, ruefully; "there he goes, out of sight, and I shall never see +him again!"<br><br>He now limped away into the back garden, where he picked a new pair of boots that +would not hurt his feet; and while he was gone the dog began to fall down again. Of course he fell +faster than he went up, and finally landed with a crash exactly on the King's door-step. But so great +was the force of the fall and so hard the door-step that the poor dog was flattened out like a +pancake, and could not move a bit.<br><br>When the King came back he said:<br><br>"Hullo! some kind +friend has brought me a new door-mat as a present," and he leaned down and stroked the soft hair with +much pleasure. Then he wiped his feet on the new mat and went into the palace to tell the +Queen.<br><br><img src="images/dogrug.jpg" align="left" alt="The Queen looks at the door-mat">When her +Majesty saw the nice, soft door-mat she declared it was too good to be left outside; so she brought it +into the parlor and put it on the floor before the fire-place.<br><br>The good King was sorry he had +treated the dog so harshly, and for fear he might do some other dreadful thing he went back to the +place where he had lost his temper and searched until he found it again, when he put it carefully away +in his pocket where it would stay.<br><br>Then he returned to the palace an entered the parlor; but as +he passed the mat, his new boots were so clumsy, he stumbled against the edge and pushed the mat +together into a roll.<br><br>Immediately the dog gave a bark, got upon its legs and +said:<br><br>"Well, this is better! Now I can breathe again, but while I was so flat I could not draw +a single breath."</p><p align="center"><img src="images/better.jpg" alt=""Well this is +better!""><p>The monarch and his Queen were much surprised to find that what they had taken for a +mat was only the dog, that had fallen so flat on their door-step; but they could not forbear laughing +at his queer appearance. For, as the King had kicked the mat on the edge, the dog was more than six +feet long, and no bigger around than a lead-pencil; which brought its font legs so far from its rear +legs that it could scarcely turn around in the room without getting tangled up.<br><br>"But it is +better than being a door-mat," said the dog; and the King and Queen agreed with him in +this.<br><br>Then the King went away to tell the people he had found the dog again, and when he left +the palace he slammed the front door behind him. The dog had started to follow the King out, so when +the front door slammed it hit the poor animal so sharp a blow on the nose that it pushed his body +together again; and, lo and behold! there was the dog in his natural shape, just as he was before the +King kicked him.<br><br>After this the dog and the King agreed very well; for the King was careful not +to kick, since he had recovered his temper, and the dog took care not to say anything that would +provoke the King to anger.<br><br>And one day the dog saved the Kingdom and all the Valley of Mo from +destruction, as I shall tell you another time.</p><br><br><br><br> + +<p align="center" class="b1"><a name="chapter4"><i>The Fourth Surprise</i></a><br>THE PECULIAR PAINS +OF<br>FRUITCAKE ISLAND</p><br><p align="center"><img src="images/chap4.jpg" alt="The Monarch and +Prince Zingle at the hole"></p><br><br><p><b><span class="b3">P</span>RINCE ZINGLE</b>, who was the +eldest of all the princes of the Valley of Mo, at one time became much irritated because the King, his +father, would not allow him to milk the cow with the golden horns. This cow was a great favorite with +the King, because she gave as large a quantity of ice-cream at a milking as an ordinary cow does of +milk, and in the warm days this was an agreeable luxury. The King liked to keep the cow with the +golden horns for his own use and that of the Queen; so Prince Zingle thought he was being abused, +having a great fondness for ice-cream himself.<br><br>To be sure, there was the great fountain of ice- +cream soda-water playing constantly in the courtyard, which was free to every one; but the Prince +longed for what he could not have.<br><br>Therefore, being filled with anger against his father, the +King, he wandered away until he chanced to come near to the castle of the Purple Dragon.<br><br><img +src="images/pdrag3.jpg" align="left" alt="The Purple Dragon">When the wicked monster saw the Prince, +it decided that here was a splendid opportunity to make mischief; so it said, politely:<br><br>"Good +morning, King Zingle."<br><br>"I am not a king—I am only a prince," replied +Zingle.<br><br>"What! not a king?" exclaimed the Dragon, as if surprised; "that is too bad."<br><br>"I +can never be a king while my father lives," continued the Prince, "and it is impossible for him to +die. So what can I do?"<br><br>"Since you ask my advice, I will tell you," answered the naughty +Dragon. "Down near Rootbeer River, where the peanut trees grow, is a very deep hole in the ground. You +must get the King to go and look into this hole, and while he is leaning over the edge, push him in. +Of course, he will not die, for that, as you say, is impossible; but no one will know where to find +him. So, your father being out of the way, you will be king in his place."<br><br>"That is surely good +advice," said the Prince, "and I will go and do it at once. Then the cow with the golden horns will be +mine, and I shall become the Monarch of Mo."<br><br>The Prince turned to go back to the palace, and as +soon as he was out of sight, the horrid Dragon laughed to think what a fool it had made of the +boy.<br><br>When Zingle saw his father he called him aside and said:<br><br>"Your Majesty, I have +discovered something very funny at the bottom of the hole near the peanut trees. Come and see what it +is."<br><br>So the King went with the Prince, without suspecting his evil design, and while he leaned +over the hole the Prince gave him a sudden push. The next moment down fell the Monarch of Mo—way +to the bottom!<br><br><img src="images/cow.jpg" align="left" alt="The Ice Cream Cow">Then Prince +Zingle went back to the palace and began to milk the cow with the golden horns.<br><br>Now when the +King found himself at the bottom of the hole he at first did not know what to do; so he sat down and +thought about it. Presently a happy idea came into his head. He knew if only he was at the other end +of the hole, he would be at the top instead of the bottom, and could make his escape. So the King took +hold of the hole, and exerting all his strength, turned the hole upside down. Being now at the top he +stepped upon the ground and walked back to the palace, where he caught Prince Zingle milking the cow +with the golden horns.<br><br>"Oh, ho!" he said, "you wish to be King, do you? Well, we'll see about +that!" Then he took the naughty Prince by the ear and led him into the palace, where he locked him up +in a room from which he could not escape.</p><p align="center"><img src="images/byear.jpg" +alt=""He took the naughty Prince by the ear and led him into the Palace""></p><p>The King +now sat himself down in an easy chair and began to think on how he could best punish the Prince, but +after an hour of deep thought he was unable to decide on anything that seemed a sufficient +chastisement for so great an offense.<br><br>At last he resolved to consult the Wise +Donkey.<br><br>The Wise Donkey lived in a pretty little house away at the end of the Valley, for he +didn't like to mix with the gay life at the court. He had not always been wise, but at one time was a +very stupid donkey indeed, and he acquired his wisdom in this way.<br><br><img src="images/wised.jpg" +align="left" alt="The donkey eating all the school-books">One Friday afternoon, just as school was +letting out, the stupid donkey strayed into the school-house, and the teachers and scholars were all +so anxious to get home that they never noticed the donkey, but locked him up in the school-house and +went away without knowing he was there.<br><br>No one came into the building from Friday afternoon +until Monday morning; so the donkey got very hungry, and certainly would have starved had he not +chanced to taste of a geography that was sticking out from one of the desks. The hungry donkey +decided it was not so very bad, so he ate it all up. Then he ate an arithmetic, an algebra, and two +first readers. After that he lay down and went to sleep; but becoming hungry again he awoke and +commenced on the school library, which he completely devoured. This library comprised all the solid +and substantial wisdom in the Valley of Mo, and when the janitor opened the school-house door on +Monday morning, all the books of learning in the whole land had been eaten up by the stupid +donkey.<br><br>You can readily understand that after he had digested all this knowledge he became very +wise, and thereafter the King and the people often consulted the Wise Donkey when their own +intelligence was at fault.<br><br>So now the monarch went to the donkey's house and told him of the +Prince's wickedness, asking how he could best punish him.<br><br>The Wise Donkey thought about the +matter for a moment and then replied:<br><br>"I do not know a worse punishment than a pain in the +stomach. Among the books I ate in the school-house was a trigonometry, and before I had digested it I +suffered very severe pains indeed."<br><br>"But I can not feed the Prince a trigonometry," returned +the King. "You ate the last one yourself."<br><br>"True," answered the donkey; "but there are other +things that cause pain in the stomach. You know there is a certain island in Rootbeer River that is +made of fruit cake of a very rich quality. I advise you to put the Prince on this island and allow him +nothing to eat except the fruit cake. Presently he will have violent pains in his stomach and will be +punished as greatly as you could desire."<br><br>The King was well pleased with this plan, and having +thanked the donkey for his wise advice hurried back to the palace.<br><br>Prince Zingle was now +brought from his room and rowed in a boat to the Fruit Cake Island in Rootbeer River, where he was +left without any way to escape. He knew how to swim, to be sure, but it was forbidden by law to swim +in the Rootbeer, as many people came to this river to drink.<br><br>"You shall stay here," said the +King, sternly, "until you are sorry for your wickedness; and you shall have nothing to eat but fruit +cake."<br><br>The Prince laughed, because he thought the punishment was no punishment at all. When the +King had rowed away in the boat and Zingle was left alone, he said to himself:<br><br>"Why, this is +delightful! I shall have a jolly time here, and can eat all the cake I want, without any one scolding +me for being greedy."<br><br>He broke off a large piece of the island where the raisins and citron +were thickest, and commenced to eat it. But after a time he became tired of eating nothing but fruit +cake, and longed for something to go with it. But the island did not contain a single thing except the +cake of which it was composed.<br><br>Presently Prince Zingle began to have a pain inside him. He paid +no attention to it at first, thinking it would pass away; but instead it grew more severe, so that he +began to cry out; but no one heard him.<br><br><img src="images/fcpain.jpg" align="left" alt="Prince +Zingle has great stomach pains">The pain steadily increased, and the Prince wept and rolled on the +ground and began to feel exceeding sorry he had been so wicked. Finally he seized the telephone, which +was connected with the palace, and called up the King.<br><br>"Hullo!" said the King's voice, in +reply; "what's wanted?"<br><br>"I have a terrible pain," said the Prince, with a groan, "and I'm very +sorry indeed that I pushed your Majesty down the hole. If you'll only take me off this dreadful island +I'll be the best prince in all the Valley from this time forth!"<br><br>So the King sent the boat and +had the Prince brought back to the palace, where he forgave his naughty actions. Being a kind parent +he next fed his suffering son a blossom from a medicine tree, which quickly relieved his pain and led +him to appreciate the pleasure of repentance.</p><br><br><br><br> + +<p align="center" class="b1"><a name="chapter5"><i>The Fifth Surprise</i></a><br>THE MONARCH +CELEBRATES<br>HIS BIRTHDAY</p><br><p align="center"><img src="images/birthd.jpg" alt="Looking up the +King's birthday"></p><br><br><p><b><span class="b3">T</span>HERE</b> were great festivities in the +Valley of Mo when the King had a birthday. The jolly monarch was born so many years ago that so every +one had forgotten the date. One of the Wise Men said the King was born in February; another declared +it was in May, and a third figured the great event happened in October. So the King issued a royal +decree that he should have three birthdays every year, in order to be on the safe side; and whenever +he happened to think of it he put in an odd birthday or two for luck. The King's birthdays came to be +regarded as very joyful events, for on these occasions festivities of unusual magnificence were held, +and everybody in the kingdom was invited to participate.<br><br>On one occasion the King, suddenly +recollecting he had not celebrated his birthday for several weeks, announced a royal festival on a +most elaborate scale. The cream-puff crop was an unusually large one, and the bushes were hanging full +of the delicious ripe puffs, which were highly prized by the people of Mo.<br><br>So all the maidens +got out their best dresses and brightest ribbons, and the young men carefully brushed their hair and +polished their boots, and soon the streets leading to the palace were thronged with gay merry- +makers.<br><br>When the guests were all assembled a grand feast was served, in which the newly-picked +cream puffs were an important item.<br><br><img src="images/bcask.jpg" alt="The ruby casket was +brought" align="left">Then the King stood up at the head of the table and ordered his ruby casket to +be brought him, and when the people heard this they at once became quiet and attentive, for the Ruby +Casket was one of the most curious things in the Valley. It was given the King many years before by +the sorceress, Maetta, and whenever it was opened something was found in it that no living person had +seen before.<br><br>So the people, and even the King himself, always watched the opening of the Ruby +Casket with much curiosity, for they never knew what would be disclosed.<br><br>The King placed the +casket on a small table before him, and then, after a solemn look at the expectant faces, he said, +slowly:<br><br>"Giggle-gaggle-goo!" which was the magic word that opened the box.<br><br>At once the +lid flew back, and the King peered within and exclaimed: "Ha!"<br><br>This made the guests more +excited than before, for they did not know what he was saying "ha!" about; and they held their breaths +when the King put his thumb and finger into the box and drew out a little wooden man about as big as +my finger. He wore a blue jacket and a red cap and held a little brass horn in his hand.<br><br>The +King stood the wooden man upon the table and then reached within the box and brought out another +wooden man, dressed just the same as the other, and also holding a horn in his hand. This the King +stood beside the first wooden man, and then took out another, and another, until ten little wooden men +were standing in a row on the table, holding drums, and cymbals, and horns in their small, stiff +hands.<br><br>"I declare," said the King, when he had stood them all up, "it's a little German band. +But what a shame it is they can not play."<br><br>No sooner had the King uttered the word "play" than +every little wooden man put his horn to his mouth, or beat his drum, or clashed his cymbal; and +immediately they began to play such delicious music that all the people were delighted, and even the +King clapped his hands in applause.<br><br>Just then from out the casket leaped a tiny Baby Elephant, +about as large as a mouse, and began capering about on its toes. It was dressed in short, fluffy +skirts, like those worn by a ballet-dancer, and it danced so funnily that all who saw it roared with +laughter.<br><br><img src="images/casket.jpg" alt="The animals perform" align="left">When the elephant +stopped to rest, two pretty Green Frogs sprang from the casket and began to play leapfrog before the +astonished guests, who had never before seen such a thing as a frog. The little green strangers jumped +over each other quick as a flash, and finally one of them jumped down the other's throat. Then, as the +Baby Elephant opened his mouth to yawn, the remaining frog jumped down the elephant's +throat.<br><br>The audience was so much amused at this feat that the Baby Elephant thought he would +see what he could do to please them; so he stood on his head and gave a great jump, and disappeared +down his own throat, leaving the musicians to play by themselves.<br><br>Then all the young men caught +the girls about their waists and began spinning around in a pretty dance of their own, and the fun +continued until they were tired out.<br><br>The King thanked the tiny wooden musicians and put them +back in the Ruby Casket. He did not offer to take up a collection for them, there being no money of +any kind in the Valley of Mo. The casket was then carried back to the royal treasury, where it was +guarded with much care when not in use.<br><br>Just then a young man approached the King, asking +permission for the people to skate on the Crystal Lake, and his Majesty graciously +consented.<br><br>As it was never cold in the Kingdom of Mo there was, of course, no ice for skating. +But the Crystal Lake was composed of sugar-syrup, and the sun had candied the surface of the lake, so +it had become solid enough to skate on, and was, moreover, as smooth as glass.<br><br>It was not often +the King allowed skating there, for he feared some one might break through the crust; but as it was +his birthday he could refuse the people nothing. So presently hundreds of the boys and girls were +skating swiftly on the Crystal Lake and having rare sport; for it was just as good as ice, without +being cold or damp.<br><br>In the center there was one place where the crust was quite thin, and just +as the merriment was at its height, crack! went the ice—or candy, rather—and down into the +sugar-syrup sank the Princess Truella, and the Prince Jollikin, and the King's royal chamberlain, +Nuphsed.<br><br>Down and down they went until they reached the bottom of the lake; and there they +stood, stuck fast in the syrup and unable to move a bit, while all the people gathered on the shore to +look at them, the lake being as clear as the clearest water.<br><br>Of course, this calamity put an +end to further skating, and the King rushed around asking every one how he could get his daughter and +his son and his royal chamberlain out of the mass. But no one could tell him.<br><br><img +src="images/condon.jpg" alt=""The King consulted the Wise Donkey"" align="left">Finally the +King consulted the Wise Donkey; and after he had thought the matter over and consulted his learning, +the donkey advised his Majesty to fish for them.<br><br>"Fish!" exclaimed the King; "how can we do +that?"<br><br>"Take a fish-line and put a sinker on it, to make it sink through the syrup. Then bait +the end of the line with the thing that each one of them likes best. In that way you can catch hold of +them and draw them out of the lake."<br><br>"Well," said the King, "I'll try it, for of course you +know what you are talking about."<br><br>"Have you ever eaten a geography?" demanded the Wise +Donkey.<br><br>"No," said the King.<br><br>"Well, I have," declared the donkey, haughtily; "and what I +don't know about lakes and such things isn't in the geography."<br><br>So the King went back to the +Crystal Lake and got a strong fish-line, which he tied to the end of a long pole. Then he put a sinker +on the end of the line and was ready for the bait.<br><br>"What does the Princess Truella like best?" +he asked the Queen.<br><br>"I'm sure I do not know," replied the royal lady; "but you might try her +with a kiss."<br><br>So one of the nicest young men sent a kiss to the Princess, and the King tied it +to the end of the line and put it in the lake. The sinker carried it down through the sugar-syrup +until the kiss was just before the sweet, red lips of the pretty Princess. She took the kiss at once, +as the Queen had guessed, and the King pulled up the line, with the Princess at the end of it, until +he finally landed her on the shore.</p><p align="center"><img src="images/puline.jpg" alt=""The +King pulled up the line, with the Princess at the end of it""></p><p>Then all the people shouted +for joy and the Queen took the Princess Truella home to change her clothes, for they were very +sticky.<br><br>"What does the Prince Jollikin like best?" asked the King.<br><br>"A laugh!" replied a +dozen at once, for every one knew the Prince's failing.<br><br><img src="images/pdrawn.jpg" alt="The +Prince was quickly drawn up" align="left"><img src="images/sticky.jpg" alt="Prince Jollikin with +sticky clothes" align="right">Then one of the girls laughed quite hard, and the King tied it to the +end of the line and dropped it into the lake. The Prince caught the laugh at once, and was quickly +drawn from the syrup and likewise sent home to change his clothes.<br><br>Then the King looked around +on the people and asked:<br><br>"What does the Chamberlain Nuphsed like best?"<br><br>But they were +all silent, for Nuphsed liked so many things it was difficult to say which he liked best. So again the +King was obliged to go to the Wise Donkey, in order to find out how he should bait the line to catch +the royal chamberlain.<br><br>The Wise Donkey happened to be busy that day over his own affairs and +was annoyed at being consulted so frequently without receiving anything in return for his wisdom. But +he pretended to consider the matter, as was his wont, and said:<br><br>"I believe the royal +chamberlain is fond of apples. Try to catch him with a red apple."<br><br>At this the King and his +people hunted all over the kingdom, and at last found a tree with one solitary red apple growing on a +little branch nearly at the top. But unfortunately some one had sawed off the trunk of the tree, close +up to the branches, and had carried it away and chopped it up for kindling wood. For this reason there +was no way to climb the tree to secure the apple.<br><br>While the King and the people were +considering how they might get into the tree, Prince Thinkabit came up to them and asked what they +wanted.<br><br>"We want the apple," replied the King, "but some one has cut away the tree trunk, so +that we can not climb up."<br><br>Prince Thinkabit rubbed the top of his head a minute, to get his +brain into good working order. It was a habit he had acquired. Then he walked to the bank of the +river, which was near, and whistled three times. Immediately a school of fishes swam up to him, and +one of the biggest cried out:<br><br>"Good afternoon, Prince Thinkabit; what can we do for +you?"<br><br>"I wish to borrow a flying fish for a few minutes," replied the Prince.<br><br>Scarcely +had he spoken when a fish flew out of the river and perched upon his shoulder. Then he walked up to +the tree and said to the fish: "Get me the apple."<br><br>The flying fish at once flew into the tree +and bit off the stem of the apple, which fell down and hit the King on the nose, for, unfortunately, +he was standing exactly under it. Then the Prince thanked the flying fish and sent it back to the +river, and the King, having first put a plaster over his nose, took the apple and started for the +Crystal Lake, followed by all his people.<br><br>But when the apple was fastened to the fish-line and +let down through the syrup to the royal chamberlain, Nuphsed refused to touch it.<br><br>"He doesn't +like it," said the King, with a sigh; and he went again to the Wise Donkey.<br><br>"Didn't he want the +apple?" asked the donkey, as if surprised. But you must know he was not surprised at all, as he had +planned to get the apple for himself.<br><br>"No, indeed," replied the King. "We had an awful job to +find the apple, too."<br><br>"Where is it?" inquired the donkey.<br><br>"Here," said the King, taking +it out of his pocket.<br><br>The donkey took the apple, looked at it thoughtfully for a moment, and +then ate it up and smacked his lips, for he was especially fond of red apples.<br><br>"What shall we +do now?" asked the King.<br><br>"I believe the thing Nuphsed likes best is a kind word. Bait the line +with that, and you may catch him."<br><br>So the King went again to the lake, and having put a kind +word on the fish-line quickly succeeded in bringing the royal chamberlain to the shore in safety. You +can well imagine poor Nuphsed was glad enough to be on dry land after his long immersion in the sugar- +syrup.<br><br>And now that all had been rescued from the Crystal Lake, the King put a rope around the +broken crust and stuck up a sign that said "Danger!" so that no one else would fall in.<br><br>After +that the festivities began again, and as there were no further accidents the King's birthday ended +very happily.</p><br><br><br><br> + +<p align="center" class="b1"><a name="chapter6"><i>The Sixth Surprise</i></a><br>KING SCOWLEYOW AND +HIS<br>CAST-IRON MAN</p><br><p align="center"><img src="images/cman.jpg" alt="The Cast-iron +Man"></p><br><br><p><b><span class="b3">A</span>CROSS</b> the mountains at the north of the Valley of +Mo there reigned a wicked King named Scowleyow, whose people lived in caves and mines and dug iron and +tin out of the rocks and melted them into bars. These bars they then carried away and sold for +money.<br><br>King Scowleyow hated the Monarch of Mo and all his people, because they lived so happily +and cared nothing for money; and he would have sent his army into the Valley to destroy the merry +people who dwelt there had he not been afraid of the sharp swords that grew on their trees, which they +knew so well how to use against their foes.<br><br>So King Scowleyow pondered for a long time how to +destroy the Valley of Mo without getting hurt himself; and at last he hit on a plan he believed would +succeed.<br><br>He put all his mechanics to work and built a great man out of cast-iron, with +machinery inside of him. When he was wound up the Cast-iron Man could roar, and roll his eyes, and +gnash his teeth and march across the Valley, crushing trees and houses to the earth as he went. For +the Cast-iron Man was as tall as a church and as heavy as iron could make him, and each of his feet +was as big as a barn.<br><br><img src="images/scowl.jpg" alt="The Wicked King Scowleyow" +align="left">It took a long time to build this man, as you may suppose; but King Scowleyow was so +determined to ruin the pretty Valley of Mo that he made his men work night and day, and at last the +Cast-iron Man was ready to be wound up and sent on his journey of destruction.<br><br>They stood him +on the top of the mountain, with his face toward the Beautiful Valley, and began to wind him up. It +took a hundred men a whole week to do this; but at last he was tightly wound, and the wicked King +Scowleyow stood ready to touch the spring that made him go.<br><br>"One—two—three!" said +the King, and touched the spring with his ringer.<br><br>The Cast-iron Man gave so terrible a roar +that he even frightened the men who had made him; and then he rolled his eyes till they flashed fire, +and gnashed his teeth till the noise sounded like thunder.<br><br>The next minute he raised one great +foot and stepped forward, crushing fifty trees that stood in his path, and then away he went, striding +down the mountain, destroying everything that stood in his way, and nearing with every step the +Beautiful Valley of Mo.<br><br>The King and his people were having a game of ball that day, and the +dog was acting as umpire. Suddenly, just as Prince Jollikin had made a home run and everybody was +applauding him, a terrible roaring noise sounded in their ears, and they heard a great crashing of +trees on the mountain side and saw a monstrous man approaching the Valley.<br><br><img +src="images/fright.jpg" alt=""The people were so frightened"" align="left">The people were +so frightened they stood perfectly still, being unable to move through surprise and terror; but the +dog ran with all his might toward the mountain to see what was the matter. Just as the dog reached the +foot of the mountain the Cast-iron Man came tramping along and stepped into the Valley, where he +ruined in one instant a large bed of lady-fingers and a whole patch of ripe pumpkin pies. Indeed, the +entire Valley would soon have been destroyed had not the Cast-iron Man stubbed his toe against the dog +and fallen flat on his face, where he lay roaring and gnashing his teeth, but unable to do any further +harm.</p><p align="center"><img src="images/roar.jpg" alt=""The Cast-iron Man lay roaring and +gnashing his teeth.""></p><p>Presently the King and his people recovered from their fright and +gathered around their prostrate foe, marveling at his great size and strength.<br><br>"Had you not +tripped him up," said the King to the dog, "this giant would certainly have destroyed my kingdom. Who +do you suppose was so wicked as to send this monster to crush us?"<br><br>"It must have been King +Scowleyow," declared the dog, "for no one else would care to harm you, and the giant came from the +direction of the wicked King's country."<br><br>"Yes," replied the monarch, thoughtfully, "it must +indeed have been Scowleyow; and it was a very unkind act, for we never harmed him in any way. But what +shall we do with this great man? If he is left here he will scare all the children with his roarings, +and none of the ladies will care to walk near this end of the Valley. He is so heavy that not all of +us together could lift him, and even if we succeeded we have no place to put him where he would be out +of the way."<br><br>This was indeed true; so all the people sat down in a circle around the Cast-iron +Man and thought upon the matter intently for the space of an hour.<br><br>Then the monarch asked, +solemnly, as became the importance of the occasion:<br><br>"Has any one thought of a way to get rid of +him?"<br><br>The people shook their heads gravely and thought deeply for another hour. At the end of +that time the dog suddenly laughed, and called out in a voice so loud that it startled them:<br><br>"I +have thought of a way!"<br><br>"Good!" exclaimed the King. "Let us hear your plan."<br><br>"You see," +explained the dog, "the Cast-iron Man is now lying on his face. If we could only roll him over on to +his back, and then raise him to his feet again, he would be turned around, and would march straight +back to where he came from, and do us no further harm."<br><br>"That is a capital idea," replied the +King. "But how can we roll him over, or make him stand up?"<br><br>That puzzled them all for a while, +but by and by Prince Thinkabit, who was a very clever young man, announced his readiness to undertake +the job.<br><br>"First, bring me a feather," commanded the Prince.<br><br>The royal chamberlain hunted +around and soon found for him a long, fluffy feather. Taking this in his hand the Prince approached +the Cast-iron Man and tickled him under the left arm with the end of the feather.<br><br>"Ouch!" said +the Cast-iron Man, giving a jump and rolling completely over, so that he lay on his back.<br><br><img +src="images/pthink.jpg" alt="Prince Thinkabit" align="right">"Hurrah!" cried the people, clapping +their hands with joy at this successful stratagem; "the Prince is a very wise Prince, +indeed!"<br><br>Prince Thinkabit took off his hat and bowed politely to them in return for the +compliment. Then he said:<br><br>"Bring me a pin."<br><br>So Nuphsed brought him a pin with a very +sharp point, and the Prince took it and walked up to the Cast-iron Man, and gave him a sharp prod in +the back with the point of the pin.<br><br>"Ouch!" again yelled the Cast-iron Man, giving at the same +time such a great jump that he leaped square on his feet. But now, to their joy, they saw he was +facing the mountains instead of the Valley.<br><br>As soon as the Cast-iron Man stood up the machinery +began to work again, and he marched with great steps up the mountain side and over into the kingdom of +the wicked Scowleyow, where he crushed the King and all his people, and laid waste the land wherever +he went.<br><br>And that was their punishment for being envious of the good people of Mo.<br><br>As to +the fate of the Cast-iron Man, he was wound up so tightly that he kept walking straight on until he +reached the sea, where he stepped into the water, went down to the bottom, and stuck fast in the +mud.<br><br>And I have no doubt he is there to this day.</p><p align="center"><img +src="images/cman2.jpg" alt="The fate of the Cast-iron Man"></p><br><br><br><br> + +<p align="center" class="b1"><a name="chapter7"><i>The Seventh Surprise</i></a><br>TIMTOM AND THE +PRINCESS<br>PATTYCAKE</p><br><p align="center"><img src="images/timpat.jpg" alt="Timtom and the +Princess Pattycake"><br><br><p><b><span class="b3">N</span>OW</b> of all the monarch's daughters the +most beautiful by far was the Princess Pattycake. The deep blue of her eyes made even the sky envious, +and the moss roses blushed when they saw the delicate bloom on her cheeks. The long strands of her +silken hair were brighter than sunbeams, while her ears were like two tiny pink shells from the +seashore. Indeed, there was nothing in all the Valley so dainty and pretty as Princess Pattycake, and +many young men would have loved her had they dared. But, alas! the Princess had a most terrible +temper, and never was pleased with anything; so the young men, and even the old ones, were afraid to +come near her.<br><br>She scolded from morning till night; she stamped her pretty foot with rage when +any one spoke to her; and if ever her brothers tried to reason with her she boxed their ears so +soundly that they were glad to let her alone. Even the good Queen could not love Pattycake as she did +her other children, and the King often sighed when he thought of the ugly disposition of his beautiful +daughter. Of course no one cared very much for her society, and she sat in her room all day long, +refusing to join the others in their sports and games, and becoming more moody and bad-tempered the +older she grew.<br><br><img src="images/picpea.jpg" alt="Timtom with the pickled peaches" +align="left">One day a young man came to the court to bring pickled peaches to his Majesty, the King. +The youth's name was Timtom, and he lived so far away and came so seldom to court that never before +had he seen the Princess Pattycake.<br><br>When he looked into her sweet, blue eyes he loved her at +once for her beauty, and being both brave and bold he went directly to the King and asked for +Pattycake's hand in marriage.<br><br>His Majesty was naturally surprised at so strange a request; so +he said to the young man:<br><br>"What does the Princess say? Does she love you?"<br><br>"I do not +know," replied Timtom, "for I have never spoken with her."<br><br>"Well," said the King, much amazed +at the ignorance and temerity of the youth, "go and speak to my daughter about the matter, and then +come and tell me what she replies."<br><br>Timtom went at once to the room where Princess Pattycake +was moodily sitting, and said, boldly:<br><br>"I should like to marry you."<br><br>"What!" screamed +the Princess, in a great rage; "marry me! Go away this instant, you impudent boy, or I shall throw my +shoe at your head!"<br><br>Timtom was both surprised and shocked at this outburst, but he realized +that the Princess had a remarkably bad temper. Still he was not moved from his purpose, for she was so +pretty he decided not to abandon the attempt to win her.<br><br>"Do not be angry, for I love you," he +pleaded, looking bravely into Pattycake's blue eyes.<br><br>"Love me?" echoed the surprised Princess; +"that is not possible! Every one else hates me."<br><br>"They do not hate you," ventured Timtom; "it +is your temper they hate."<br><br>"But my temper and I are one," answered the Princess, harshly, as +she stamped her foot.<br><br>"Surely that is not so," returned the young man, "for certainly I love +you, while your temper I do not like a bit. Don't you think you could love me?"<br><br>"Perhaps I +might, if you could cure my bad temper; but my temper will not allow me to love any one. In fact, I +believe that unless you go away at once I shall be obliged to box your ears!"<br><br>There seemed to +be no help for her, so Timtom left the room sadly, and going to the King, told him what she had +said.<br><br>"Then that is the end of the matter," declared the King, "for no one can cure Pattycake +of her bad temper."<br><br>"I am resolved to try, nevertheless," replied Timtom, "and, if I succeed, +you must give me the Princess in marriage."<br><br>"I will, and my blessing into the bargain," +answered the King, heartily.<br><br>Then Timtom left the court, and went back to his father's house, +where he thought on the problem for a week and a day. At the end of that time he was no nearer solving +it than he was before; but his mother, who had noticed that her boy was in trouble, now came to him to +ask the cause of his sad looks. Timtom told her all about the Princess Pattycake, and of his love for +her, and the evil temper that would not be cured.<br><br>His mother gave him her sympathy, and after +some thought, said to him: "You must go to the sorceress Maëtta and ask her assistance. She is a good +lady, and a friend to all the King's family. I am quite sure she will aid you, if only you can find +your way to the castle in which she lives."<br><br>"Where is this castle?" asked Timtom, brightening +up.<br><br>"Away to the south, in the midst of a thick wood," answered his mother.<br><br>"Then," said +he, sturdily, "if this castle exists, I will surely find it, for to win Pattycake is my only hope of +happiness."<br><br>The next day he set out on his journey, filled with the hope of finding Maëtta's +castle and securing her assistance.<br><br>Before he had gone very far a snow-storm began to rage. +Now, the snow-storms in Mo are different from ours, for the snow is popcorn, and on this day it fell +so thick and fast that poor Timtom had much difficulty in wading through it. He was obliged to stop +frequently to rest, and ate a great deal of the popcorn that cumbered his path, for it was nicely +buttered and salted.<br><br>Finally, to his joy, it stopped snowing, and then he was able to walk +along easily until he came to the River of Needles.<br><br>When he looked on this river he was nearly +discouraged, and could not think of a way to get across; for instead of water the river flowed a +perfect stream of sharp, glittering needles.<br><br>Sitting down on the bank, he was wondering what he +should do when to his astonishment a small but sharp and disagreeable voice said to him:<br><br>"Where +are you going, stranger?"<br><br>Timtom looked down between his feet and saw a black spider, which sat +on a blade of grass and watched him curiously.<br><br>"I am on my way to visit the sorceress Maëtta," +replied Timtom; "But I can not get across the River of Needles."<br><br>"They are very sharp, and +would make a thousand holes through you in an instant," remarked the spider, thoughtfully. "But +perhaps I can help you. If you are willing to grant me a favor in return, I will gladly build a +bridge, so you may cross the river in safety."<br><br>"What is the favor?" he asked.<br><br>"I have +lost an eye, and you must ask the sorceress to give me a new one, for I can see but half as well as I +could before."<br><br>"I will gladly do this for you," said Timtom.<br><br>"Very well; then I will +build you a bridge," promised the spider; "but if you have not the eye with you when you return I +shall destroy the bridge, and you will never be able to get home again."<br><br>The young man agreed +to this, for he was anxious to proceed. So the spider threw a web across the river, and then another, +and another, until it had made a bridge of spider-web strong enough for Timtom to cross +over.<br><br>It bent and swayed when his weight was on the slender bridge, but it did not break, and +after he was safe across he thanked the spider and renewed his promise to bring back the eye. Then he +hurried away on his journey, for he had lost much time at the river.<br><br>But, to his dismay, the +young man shortly came to a deep gulf, that barred his way as completely as had the River of Needles. +He peered down into it and saw it had no bottom, but opened away off at the other side of the world. +Here was an obstacle which might well dishearten the boldest traveler, and Timtom was so grieved that +he sat down on the brink and wept tears of disappointment.<br><br>"What is troubling you?" asked a +soft voice in his ear.<br><br>Turning his head the youth saw a beautiful white bird sitting beside +him.<br><br>"I wish to visit the castle of the sorceress Maëtta on very important business," he +replied, "but I can not get over the gulf."<br><br>"I could carry you over with ease," said the bird, +"and shall gladly do so if, in return, you promise to grant me one favor."<br><br>"What is the favor?" +inquired Timtom.<br><br>"I have forgotten my song, through having a sore throat for a long time," +replied the bird. "So, try as I may, I can not sing a single note. If you will agree to bring me a new +song from the sorceress I will take you over the gulf, and bring you back when you return. But unless +you bring the song I shall not carry you over again."<br><br>Timtom joyfully agreed to this bargain, +and then, sitting on the bird's neck, he was borne safely across the deep gulf.<br><br>After +continuing his journey for an hour without further interruption he saw before him the edge of a great +wood, and knew that in the midst of this forest of trees was the castle of Maëtta.<br><br>He thought +then that his difficulties were all over, and tramped bravely on until he reached the wood. What, now, +was the youth's horror on discovering on one side of his path a great lion, crouched ready to spring +on any one who ventured to enter the wood, while on the other side was a monstrous tiger, likewise +prepared to attack any intruder. The fierce beasts were growling terribly, and their eyes glowed like +balls of fire.<br><br>Timtom gladly would have turned back had such a thing been possible, for his +heart was full of fear. But he remembered that without the bird's song and the spider's eye he could +never reach home again. He also thought of the pretty face of Princess Pattycake, and this gave him +courage. Resolving to perish, if need be, rather than fail in his adventure, the youth stepped boldly +forward, and when he approached the snarling guardians of the forest he gave one bound and dashed into +the wood.<br><br>At the same moment the lion leaped at him from one side and the tiger from the other, +and no doubt they would have devoured him had not Timtom's foot slipped just then and thrown him flat +on the ground. The lion and the tiger therefore met in mid air, and each one thinking it had hold of +Timtom, tried to tear him to pieces, with the result that in a few moments they had devoured each +other instead of him.</p><p align="center"><img src="images/litig.jpg" alt="The lion and tiger meeting +in mid air"></p><p>The youth now strode rapidly through the wood, and was getting along famously when +he came to a high wall of jasper that completely blocked his way. It was smooth as glass, and Timtom +saw no way of climbing over it.<br><br><img src="images/timrab.jpg" align="left" alt="Timetom meets +the rabbit">While he stood wondering how he might overcome this new obstacle a gray rabbit hopped out +from the bushes and asked:<br><br>"Where do you wish to go, stranger?"<br><br>"To the castle of the +sorceress Maëtta," answered Timtom.<br><br>"Well, perhaps I can assist you," said the rabbit. "I need +a new tail badly, for my old one is merely a stump, and no use at all in fly-time. If you will be kind +enough to get me a new tail from the sorceress Maëtta—a long, nice, bushy tail—I will dig +under the wall, and so make a passage for you to the other side."<br><br>"I shall be pleased to return +the favor by bringing you the tail," declared Timtom, eagerly.<br><br>"Very well; then you shall see +how fast I can work," returned the rabbit. Immediately it began digging away with its little paws, and +in a very short time had made a hole large enough for Timtom to crawl under the wall.<br><br>"If you +do not bring the tail," said the rabbit, in a warning voice, "I shall fill up the hole again, so that +you will be unable to get back."<br><br>"Oh, I shall bring the tail, never fear," answered the youth, +and hurried away toward the castle of Maëtta, which was now visible through the trees.<br><br>The +castle was built of pure, white marble, and was very big and beautiful. It stood in a lovely garden +filled with blue roses and pink buttercups, where fountains of gold spouted showers of diamonds, and +rubies, and emeralds, and amethysts, all of which sparkled in the sun so gorgeously that it made +Timtom's eyes ache just to look at them.<br><br>However, he had not come to admire these things, +gorgeous and beautiful though they were, but to win the Princess Pattycake; so he walked to the +entrance of the castle, and seeing no one about, entered the great door-way and passed +through.<br><br>He found himself in a passage-way covered with mother-of-pearl, where many electric +lights were hidden in shells of most exquisite tintings. At the other end of the passage was a door +studded with costly gems.<br><br>Timtom walked up to this door and knocked on it. Immediately it swung +open, and the youth found himself in a chamber entirely covered with diamonds. In the center was a +large diamond throne, and on this sat Maëtta, clothed in a pure white gown, with a crown of diamonds +on her brow and in her hand a golden scepter tipped with one enormous diamond that glowed like a ball +of fire. Above the throne was a diamond-covered chandelier, with hundreds of electric lights, and +these made the Grand Chamber of Diamonds glitter so brightly that Timtom was nearly blinded, and had +to shade his eyes with his hand.<br><br>But after a few moments he grew accustomed to the brightness +and advancing to the throne fell on his knees before the sorceress and begged her earnestly to grant +him her assistance.<br><br><img src="images/maetta.jpg" alt="The Sorceress Maëtta" align="left">Maëtta +was the most beautiful woman in all the world, but she was likewise gracious and kind. So she smiled +sweetly on the youth, bidding him, in a voice like a silver bell, to arise from his knees and sit +before her. Timtom obeyed and looked around for a chair, but could see none in the room. The lady made +a motion with her scepter and instantly at his side appeared a splendid diamond chair, in which the +young man seated himself, finding it remarkably comfortable.<br><br>"Tell me what you desire," said +the sorceress, in her sweet voice.<br><br>"I love the Princess Pattycake," replied Timtom, without +hesitation. "But she has so evil a disposition that she has refused to marry me unless I am able to +cure her of her bad temper, which not only makes her miserable but ruins the pleasure of every one +about her. So, knowing your power and the kindness of your heart, I have been bold enough to seek your +castle, that I might crave your assistance, without which I can not hope to accomplish my +purpose."<br><br>Maëtta waved her scepter thrice above her head, and a golden pill dropped at Timtom's +feet.<br><br>"Your request is granted," she said. "If you can induce the Princess to swallow this pill +her evil temper will disappear, and I know she will love you dearly for having cured her. Take great +care of it, for if it should be lost I can not give you another. Do you wish me to grant any other +request before you return to the court?"<br><br>Then Timtom remembered the rabbit, and the bird, and +the spider, and told Maëtta how he had promised to bring back a gift for each of them.<br><br>So the +kind sorceress gave him a nice, bushy tail for the rabbit, and a very pretty song for the bird, and a +new, bright eye for the spider. These Timtom put in a little red box and placed the box carefully in +his pocket. But the golden pill he tied into the corner of his handkerchief, for that was more +precious than the rest.<br><br>Having thanked the generous lady for her kindness and respectfully +kissed the white hand she held out to him, Timtom left the Chamber of Diamonds and was soon proceeding +joyfully on his homeward way.<br><br>In a short time he reached the wall of jasper, but the rabbit was +not to be seen. So, while he awaited its coming, he lay down to rest, and being tired by the long +journey was soon fast asleep. And while he slept a Sly Fox stole out from the wood and discovered +Timtom lying on the ground.<br><br>"Oh, ho!" said the Sly Fox to himself, "this young man has been to +visit the sorceress, and I'll warrant he has some fine gift from her in that little red box I see +sticking out from his pocket. I must try to steal that box and see what is in it!"<br><br><img +src="images/slyfox.jpg" alt="The Sly Fox takes the red box" align="right">Then, while the youth +slumbered, unconscious of danger, the Sly Fox carefully drew the little red box from his pocket, and, +taking it in his mouth, ran off into the woods with it.<br><br>Soon after this the rabbit came back, +and when it saw Timtom lying asleep it awakened him and asked:<br><br>"Where is my new +tail?"<br><br>"Oh, I have brought you a fine one," replied Timtom, with a smile. "It is in this little +red box." But when he searched for the box he discovered it had been stolen.<br><br>So great was his +distress at the loss that the gray rabbit was sorry for him.<br><br>"I shall never be able to get home +again," he moaned, weeping tears of despair, "for all the gifts Maëtta gave me are now lost +forever!"<br><br>"Never mind," said the rabbit, "I shall allow you to go under the wall without giving +me the tail, for I know you tried to keep your promise. I suppose I can make this stubby tail do a +while longer, since it is the only one I ever possessed. But beware when you come to the bird and the +spider, for they will not be so kind to you as I am. The bird has no heart at all, and the spider's +heart is hard as a stone. Still I advise you to keep up your courage, for if you are brave and +fearless you may succeed in getting home, after all. If you can not cross the gulf and the River of +Needles, you are welcome to come back and live with me."<br><br>Hearing this, Timtom dried his eyes +and thanked the kind rabbit, after which he crawled under the wall and resumed his journey. He became +more cheerful as he trudged along, for the golden pill was still safe in the corner of his +handkerchief.<br><br>When he came to the white bird and began to explain how it was he had lost the +song and could not keep his promise, the bird became very angry and refused to listen to his excuses. +Nor could he induce it to carry him again across the gulf.</p><p align="center"><img +src="images/bkeepw.jpg" alt=""I shall keep by word" declared the bird, stiffly"></p><p>"I +shall keep my word," declared the bird, stiffly; "for I warned you that if you returned without the +song I should refuse to assist you further."<br><br>Poor Timtom was at his wits' end to know what to +do; so he sat down near the brink of the gulf and twirled his thumbs and tried to keep up his courage +and think of some plan, while the white bird strutted around in a cold and stately manner.<br><br>Now +it seems that just about this time the Sly Fox reached his den and opened the little red box to see +what was in it. The spider's eye, being small, rolled out into the moss and was lost. The fox thought +he would put the bushy tail on himself and see if it would not add to his beauty, and while he did +this the song escaped from the box and was blown by the wind directly to the spot where Timtom was +sitting beside the gulf.<br><br>He happened to hear the song coming, so he took off his hat and caught +it, after which he called to the bird that he had found the song again.<br><br>"Then I shall keep my +promise," said the bird. "First, however, let me try the song and see if it is suited to my +voice."<br><br>So he tried the song and liked it fairly well.<br><br>"It sounds something like a comic +opera," said the bird, "but, after all, it will serve my purpose very nicely."<br><br>A minute later +Timtom rejoiced to find himself on the other side of the gulf, and so much nearer home. But when he +came to the River of Needles there was more trouble in store for him, for the spider became so angry +at the loss of its eye that it tore down the spider-web bridge, and refused to build +another.<br><br>This was indeed discouraging to the traveler, and he sat down beside the river and +looked longingly at the farther shore. The spider paid no attention to him, but curled up and went to +sleep, and the needles looked at him curiously out of their small eyes as they flowed by in an endless +stream.<br><br>After a time a wren came flying along, and when it noticed the look of despair on +Timtom's face the little creature perched on his shoulder and asked:<br><br>"What is your trouble, +young man?"<br><br>Timtom related his adventures to the sympathetic wren, and when he came to the loss +of the spider's eye and the refusal of the spiteful creature to allow him to cross the bridge, the +wren exclaimed, with every appearance of surprise:<br><br>"A spider's eye, did you say? Why, I believe +that is what I have here in my claw!"<br><br>"Where?" cried Timtom, eagerly.<br><br>The wren hopped +into his lap, and carefully opening one of its tiny claws disclosed the identical spider's eye which +Maëtta had given him.<br><br>"That is wonderful!" exclaimed Timtom, in amazement. "But where did you +get it?"<br><br>"I found it in the wood, hidden in the moss near the den of the Sly Fox. It is so +bright and sparkling I thought I would take it home for my children to play with. But now, as you seem +to want it so badly, I shall have much pleasure in restoring it to you."<br><br><img +src="images/spider.jpg" align="right" alt="Timtom crosses the spider's bridge">Timtom thanked the +little wren most gratefully, and called to the spider to come and get its eye. When the spider tried +the eye, and found that it fitted perfectly and was even brighter than the old one, it became very +polite to the young man, and soon built the bridge again.<br><br>Having passed over the glittering +needles in safety Timtom pushed forward on his way, being urged to haste by the delays he had +suffered. When he reached the place where he had encountered the snow-storm, he found the birds had +eaten all the pop-corn, so he was able to proceed without interruption.<br><br>At last he reached the +Monarch of Mo's palace and demanded an audience with the Princess Pattycake. But the young lady, being +in an especially bad temper that day, positively refused to see him.<br><br>Having overcome so many +obstacles, Timtom did not intend to be thwarted by a sulky girl, so he walked boldly to the room where +the Princess sat alone, every one being afraid to go near her.<br><br>"Good day, my dear Pattycake," +he said pleasantly; "I have come to cure your bad temper."<br><br>"I do not want to be cured!" cried +the Princess, angrily. "Go away at once, or I shall hurt you!"<br><br>"I shall not go away until you +have promised to marry me," replied Timtom, firmly.</p><p align="center"><img src="images/shoe.jpg" +alt=""Pattycake began to scream with rage and threw her shoe straight at his +head.""></p><p>At this Pattycake began to scream with rage, and threw her shoe straight at his +head. Timtom dodged the shoe and paid no attention to the naughty action, but continued to look at the +pretty Princess smilingly. Seeing this, Pattycake rushed forward and seizing him by his hair began to +pull with all her strength. At the same time she opened her mouth to scream, and while it was open +Timtom threw the golden pill down her throat.<br><br>Immediately the Princess released his hair and +sank at his feet sobbing and trembling, while she covered her pretty face with her hands to hide her +blushes and shame.<br><br>Timtom tenderly patted her bowed head, and tried to comfort her, +saying:<br><br>"Do not weep, sweetheart; for the bad temper has left you at last, and now every one +will love you dearly."<br><br>"Can you forgive me for having been so naughty?" asked Pattycake, +looking up at him pleadingly from her sweet blue eyes.<br><br>"I have forgiven you already," answered +Timtom, promptly; "for it was not you, but the temper, that made you so naughty."<br><br>The Princess +Pattycake dried her tears and kissed Timtom, promising to marry him; and together they went to seek +the King and Queen. Those good people were greatly delighted at the change in their daughter, and +consented at once to the betrothal.<br><br>A week later there was a great feast in the Valley of Mo, +and much rejoicing among the people, for it was the wedding-day of Timtom and the Princess +Pattycake.</p><p align="center"><img src="images/timkis.jpg" alt="Timtom kissing Princess +Pattycake"><br><br><br><br> + +<p align="center" class="b1"><a name="chapter8"><i>The Eighth Surprise</i></a><br>THE<br> BRAVERY OF +PRINCE JOLLIKIN<br><img src="images/sharps.jpg" alt="The King asks about the sharpness of Prince +Jollikin's sword"></p><br><br><p><b><span class="b3">T</span>HERE</b> is no country so delightful but +that it suffers some disadvantages, and so it was with the Valley of Mo. At times the good people were +obliged to leave their games and sports to defend themselves against a foe or some threatened +disaster. But there was one danger they never suspected, which at last came upon them very +suddenly.<br><br>Away at the eastern end of the Valley was a rough plain, composed entirely of loaf +sugar covered with boulders of rock candy which were piled up in great masses reaching nearly to the +foot of the mountains, containing many caves and recesses.<br><br>The people seldom came here, as +there was nothing to tempt them, the rock candy being very hard and difficult to walk on.<br><br>In +one of the great hollows formed by the rock candy lived a monstrous Gigaboo, completely shut in by the +walls of its cavern. It had been growing and growing for so many years that it had attained an +enormous size.<br><br>For fear you may not know what a Gigaboo is I shall describe this one. Its body +was round, like that of a turtle, and on its back was a thick shell. From the center of the body rose +a long neck, much like that of a goose, with a most horrible looking head perched on the top of it. +This head was round as a ball, and had four mouths on the sides of it and seven eyes set in a circle +and projecting several inches from the head. The Gigaboo walked on ten short but thick legs, and in +front of its body were two long arms, tipped with claws like those of a lobster. So sharp and strong +were these claws that the creature could pinch a tree in two easily. Its eyes were remarkably bright +and glittering, one being red in color, another green, and the others yellow, blue, black, purple and +crimson.<br><br>It was a dreadful monster to see—only no one had yet seen it, for it had grown +up in the confinement of its cave.<br><br>But one day the Gigaboo became so big and strong that in +turning around it broke down the walls of the cavern, and finding itself at liberty, the monster +walked out into the lovely Valley of Mo to see how much evil it could do.<br><br>The first thing the +Gigaboo came to was a large orchard of preserved apricots, and after eating a great quantity of the +preserves it wilfully cut off the trees with its sharp claws and utterly ruined them. Why the Gigaboo +should have done this I can not tell; but scientists say these creatures are by nature destructive, +and love to ruin everything they come across.<br><br><img src="images/terror.jpg" align="left" alt="A +person running in terror">One of the people, being in the neighborhood, came on the monster and +witnessed its terrible deeds; whereupon he ran in great terror to tell the King that the Gigaboo was +on them and ready to destroy the entire valley. Although no one had ever before seen a Gigaboo, or +even heard of one, the news was so serious that in a short time the King and many of his people came +to the place where the monster was, all having hastily armed themselves with swords and +spears.<br><br>But when they saw the Gigaboo they were afraid, and stood gazing at it in alarm, +without knowing what to do or how to attack it.<br><br>"Who among us can hope to conquer this great +beast?" asked the King, in dismay. "Yet something must be done, or soon we shall not have a tree left +standing in all the Valley of Mo." The people looked at one another in a frightened way, but no one +volunteered his services or offered to advise the monarch what to do.<br><br>At length Prince +Jollikin, who had been watching the monster earnestly, stepped forward and offered to fight the +Gigaboo alone.<br><br>"In a matter of this kind," said he, "one man is as good as a dozen. So you will +all stand back while I see where the beast can best be attacked."<br><br>"Is your sword sharp?" asked +his father, the King, anxiously.<br><br>"It was the sharpest on the tree," replied the Prince. "If I +fail to kill the monster, at least it can not kill me, although it may cause me some annoyance. At any +rate, our trees must be saved, so I will do the best I can."<br><br>With this manly speech he walked +straight toward the Gigaboo, which, when it saw him approaching, raised and lowered its long neck and +twirled its head around, so that all the seven eyes might get a glimpse of its enemy.</p><p +align="center"><img src="images/togig.jpg" alt=""He walked straight towards the +Gigaboo""></p><p>Now you must remember, when you read what follows, that no inhabitant of the +Valley of Mo can ever be killed by anything. If one is cut to pieces, the pieces still live; and, +although this seems strange, you will find, if you ever go to this queer Valley, that it is true. +Perhaps it was the knowledge of this fact that made Prince Jollikin so courageous.<br><br>"If I can +but manage to cut off that horrible head with my sword," thought he, "the beast will surely +die."<br><br>So the Prince rushed forward and made a powerful stroke at its neck; but the blow fell +short, and cut off, instead, one of the Gigaboo's ten legs. Quick as lightning the monster put out a +claw and nipped the Prince's arm which held the sword, cutting it from its body. As the sword fell the +Prince caught it in his other hand and struck again; but the blow fell on the beast's shell, and did +no harm.<br><br>The Gigaboo, now very angry, at once nipped off the Prince's left arm with one of its +claws, and his head with the other. The arm fell on the ground and the head rolled down a little hill +behind some bonbon bushes. The Prince, having lost both arms, and his head as well, now abandoned the +fight and turned to run, knowing it would be folly to resist the monster further. But the Gigaboo gave +chase, and so swiftly did its nine legs carry it that soon it overtook the Prince and nipped off both +his legs.<br><br>Then, its seven eyes flashing with anger, the Gigaboo turned toward the rest of the +people, as if seeking a new enemy; but the brave Men of Mo, seeing the sad plight of their Prince and +being afraid of the awful nippers on the beast's claws, decided to run away; which they did, uttering +as they went loud cries of terror.<br><br>But had they looked back they might not have gone so fast +nor so far; for when the Gigaboo heard their cries it, in turn, became frightened, having been +accustomed all its life to silence; so that it rushed back to its cavern of rock candy and hid itself +among the boulders.</p><p align="center"><img src="images/gighid.jpg" alt="The Gigaboo hiding inside +the boulders"></p><p>When Prince Jollikin's head stopped rolling, he opened his eyes and looked about +him, but could see no one; for the people and the Gigaboo had now gone. So, being unable to move, he +decided to lie quiet for a time, and this was not a pleasant thing for an active young man like the +Prince to do. To be sure, he could wiggle his ears a bit, and wink his eyes; but that was the extent +of his powers. After a few minutes, because he had a cheerful disposition and wished to keep himself +amused, he began to whistle a popular song; and then, becoming interested in the tune, he whistled it +over again with variations.<br><br>The Prince's left leg, lying a short distance away, heard his +whistle, and, recognizing the variations, at once ran up to the head.<br><br>"Well," said the Prince, +"here is a part of me, at any rate. I wonder where the rest of me can be."<br><br>Just then, hearing +the sound of his voice, the right leg ran up to the head. "Where is my body?" asked the Prince. But +the legs did not know.<br><br>"Pick up my head and place it on top of my legs," continued the Prince; +"then, with my eyes and your feet, we can hunt around until we find the rest of me."<br><br><img +src="images/pjol.jpg" align="left" alt="Jollikin with just a head and legs">Obeying this command, the +legs took the head and started off; and perhaps you can imagine how funny the Prince's head looked +perched on his legs, with neither body nor arms.<br><br>After a careful search they found the body +lying upon the ground at the foot of a shrimp-salad tree. But nothing more could be done without the +arms; so they next searched for those, and, having discovered them, the legs kicked them to where the +body lay.<br><br>The arms now took the head from the legs and put the legs on the body where they +belonged. Then the right arm stuck the left arm in its place, after which the left arm picked up the +right arm and placed it also where it belonged. Then all that remained was for the Prince to place his +head on his shoulders, and there he was—as good as new!<br><br>He picked up his sword, and was +feeling himself all over to see if he was put together right, when he chanced to look up and saw the +Gigaboo again coming toward him. The beast had recovered from its fright, and, tempted by its former +success, again ventured forth.<br><br>But Prince Jollikin did not intend to be cut to pieces a second +time. He quickly climbed a tree and hid himself among the branches.<br><br>Presently the Gigaboo came +to the tree and reached its head up to eat a cranberry tart. Quick as a flash the Prince swung his +sword downward, and so true was his stroke that he cut off the monster's head with ease.<br><br>Then +the Gigaboo rolled over on its back and died, for wild and ferocious beasts may be killed in Mo as +well as in other parts of the world. Having vanquished his enemy, Prince Jollikin climbed down from +the tree and went to tell the people that the Gigaboo was dead.<br><br>When they heard this joyful +news they gave their Prince three cheers, and loved him better than ever for his bravery. The King was +so pleased that he presented his son with a tin badge, set with diamonds, on the back of which was +engraved the picture of a Gigaboo.<br><br>Although Prince Jollikin was glad to be the hero of his +nation, and enjoyed the triumph of having been able to conquer his ferocious enemy, he did not escape +some inconvenience. For, as the result of his adventure, he found himself very stiff in the joints for +several days after his fight with the Gigaboo.</p><p align="center"><img src="images/gigbad.jpg" +alt="The badge given to Jollikin"></p><br><br><br><br> + +<p align="center" class="b1"><a name="chapter9"><i>The Ninth Surprise</i></a><br>THE WIZARD AND +THE<br>PRINCESS<br><img src="images/wiz2.jpg" alt="The Wizard"></p><br><br><p><b><span +class="b3">W</span>ITHIN</b> the depths of the mountains which bordered the Valley of Mo to the east +lived a Wicked Wizard in a cavern of rubies. It was many, many feet below the surface of the earth and +cut off entirely from the rest of the world, save for one passage which led through dangerous caves +and tunnels to the top of the highest mountain. So that, in order to get out of his cavern, the Wizard +was obliged to come to this mountain top, and from there descend to the outside world.<br><br><img +src="images/wiz1.jpg" align="left" alt="The Wizard">The Wizard lived all alone; but he did not mind +that, for his thoughts were always on his books and studies, and he seldom showed himself on the +surface of the earth. But when he did go out every one laughed at him; for this powerful magician was +no taller than my knee, and was very old and wrinkled, so that he looked comical indeed beside an +ordinary man.<br><br>The Wizard was nearly as sensitive as he was wicked, and was sorry he had not +grown as big as other people; so the laughter that always greeted him made him angry.<br><br>At last +he determined to find some magical compound that would make him grow bigger. He shut himself up in his +cave and searched diligently amongst his books until, finally, he found a formula recommended by some +dead and gone magician as sure to make any one grow a foot each day so long as the dose was taken. +Most of the ingredients were quite easy to procure, being such as spiders' livers, kerosene oil and +the teeth of canary birds, mixed together in a boiling caldron. But the last item of the recipe was so +unusual that it made the Wizard scratch his head in perplexity.<br><br>It was the big toe of a young +and beautiful princess.<br><br>The Wizard thought on the matter for three days, but nowhere could he +think of a young and beautiful princess who would willingly part with her big toe—even that he +might grow to be as big as he wished.<br><br>Then, as such a thing was not to be come by honestly, the +Wicked Wizard resolved to steal it. So he went through all the caves and passages until he came to the +mountain-top. Standing on the point of a rock he placed one hand on his chin and the other on the back +of his neck, and then recited the following magical incantation:<br><br> + "I wish to +go<br> + To steal the big toe<br> + Of a princess I know, +<br> + In order to grow<br> + Quite big. And so<br> + + <i>I'll change, to a crow!"</i><br><br><img src="images/wiz3.jpg" align="left" alt="The Wizard as +a crow">No sooner had he spoken the words than he changed into a Black Crow, and flew away into the +Valley of Mo, where he hid himself in a tall tree that grew near the King's palace.<br><br>That +morning, as the Princess Truella was lying late in bed, with one of her dainty pink feet sticking out +from under the covers, in through the window fluttered a Black Crow, which picked off her big toe and +immediately flew away with it.<br><br>The Princess awoke with a scream and was horrified to find her +beautiful foot ruined by the loss of her biggest toe. When the King and Queen and the Princes and +Princesses, having heard her outcry, came running in to see what was the matter, they were each and +all very indignant at the theft.<br><br>But, search as they might, nowhere could they find the +audacious Black Crow, nor the Princess' big toe, and the whole court was in despair.<br><br>Finally +Timtom, who was now a Prince, suggested that Truella seek assistance from the kind sorceress Maëtta, +who had helped him out of his own difficulties. The Princess thought well of this idea, and determined +to undertake a journey to the castle.<br><br>She whistled for her favorite Stork, and soon the great +bird came to her side. It was pure white, and of an extraordinary size. When the Stork had been +saddled the Princess kissed her father and mother good by and seated herself on the bird's back, when +it instantly rose into the air and flew away toward the castle of Maëtta.<br><br>Traveling in this +pleasant way, high in the air, the Princess crossed the River of Needles and the deep gulf and the +dangerous wood, and at last was set down safe at the castle gates.<br><br>Maëtta welcomed the pretty +Princess very cordially and, on being told of her misfortune, at once agreed to assist her. So the +sorceress consulted her Oracle, which told her truly anything she wanted to know, and then said to the +Princess:<br><br>"Your toe is in the possession of the Wicked Wizard who lives in the ruby cave under +the mountains. In order to recover it you must go yourself to seek it; but I warn you that the Wizard +will put every obstacle in your path to prevent your finding the toe and taking it from +him."<br><br>"Oh, dear!" exclaimed Truella, "I am afraid I shall never be able to get my toe from such +a horrid man."<br><br>"Have courage, and trust in me," returned Maëtta, "for I believe my powers are +stronger than his. I shall now furnish you the weapons you must use to overcome him. Here is a magic +umbrella, and in this basket which you must carry on your arm, you will find a lump of putty, an iron +ball, a mirror, a package of chewing-gum and a magic veil, all of which will be very useful. Here, +also, is a winged dagger, with which you must protect yourself if the Wizard attempts to harm you. +With these enchanted weapons and a brave heart I believe you will succeed. So kiss me, my child, and +start on your journey."<br><br>Truella thanked the kind sorceress, and mounting the saddle of her +Stork flew away toward the high mountain in which dwelt the Wicked Wizard.</p><p align="center"><img +src="images/tstork.jpg" alt=""Truella mounted her Stork and flew away toward the high +mountain.""></p><p>But the naughty man, by means of his black magic, saw her coming, and sent +such a fierce wind to blow against her that it prevented the Stork from making any headway through the +air. Therefore, in spite of his huge wings and remarkable strength, the brave bird was unable to get +an inch nearer the mountain.<br><br>When Truella saw this she put up the umbrella and held it in front +of the Stork; whereupon, being shielded from the wind, he flew easily to the mountain.<br><br>The +Princess now dismounted and, looking into the hole at the top of the mountain, discovered a flight of +stairs leading downward.<br><br><img src="images/bdowns.jpg" align="right" alt="The Princess walked +boldly down the steps">Taking her basket on her arm, as she had been directed, Truella walked boldly +down the steps until she came to a door. But then she shrank back in affright, for before the door was +coiled a great serpent, not quite a mile long and fully as large around as a stick of wood. The girl +knew she must manage in some way to overcome this terrible creature, so when the serpent opened its +mouth and raised its head to bite her, she reached within the basket, and finding the lump of putty, +threw it quickly into the serpent's mouth. The creature snapped its jaws together so suddenly that its +teeth stuck fast in the putty, and this made it so furious that it wriggled around until it had tied +itself into a hard knot, and could wriggle no longer.<br><br>Seeing there was no further danger, the +Princess passed the door and entered a large cave, which was but dimly lighted. While she paused to +allow her eyes to become accustomed to the darkness, so she might see her way, a faint rustling sound +reached her ears, and a moment later there came toward her a hideous old woman, lean and bent, with +wrinkled face and piercing black eyes. She had only one tooth, but that was of enormous size, being +nearly as large as the tusk of an elephant; and it curved out of her mouth and down under her chin, +where it ended in a very sharp point. Her finger-nails were a foot long, and they, also, were very +sharp and strong.<br><br>"What are you doing here?" asked the old woman, in a harsh voice, while she +moved her horrible fingers, as if about to scratch out Truella's eyes.<br><br>"I came to see the +Wizard," said the Princess, calmly, "and if you will allow me to pass I shall give you, in return for +the favor, some delicious chewing-gum."<br><br>"Chewing-gum!" croaked the old woman, "what is +that?"<br><br>"It is a dainty of which all ladies are very fond," replied Truella, taking the packet +from her basket. "This is it."<br><br>The old woman hesitated a moment, and then said:<br><br>"Well, +I'll try the chewing-gum and see what it is like; there will be plenty of time to scratch out your +eyes afterwards."<br><br>She placed the gum in her mouth and tried to chew it, but when she shut her +jaws together the great tusk went straight through her neck and came out at the back. The old hag gave +a scream and put up her hands to pull out the tusk again, but so great was her excitement that in her +haste she scratched out both her own eyes, and could no longer see where the Princess was +standing.<br><br>So Truella ran through the cave and came to, a door, on which she knocked. Instantly +it flew open, and before her she saw another cave, this time brightly lighted, but filled with knives +and daggers, which were flying about in every direction. To enter this cave was impossible, for the +Princess saw she would immediately be pierced by dozens of the sharp daggers. So she hesitated for a +time, not knowing how to proceed; but, chancing to remember her basket, she took from it the iron +ball, which she tossed into the center of the Cave of Daggers. At once the dangerous weapons began to +strike against the ball, and as soon as they touched it they were broken and fell to the floor. In a +short time every one of the knives and daggers had been spoiled by contact with the iron ball, and +Truella passed safely through the cave and came to another long stairway leading downward. At the +bottom of this she reached the third cave, and came upon a horrible monster.</p><p align="center"><img +src="images/flydag.jpg" alt="The flying daggers"></p><p>It had the body of a zebra, the legs of a +rhinoceros, the neck of a giraffe, the head of a bull dog, and three corrugated tails. This monster at +once began to growl and run toward her, showing its terrible teeth and lashing its three tails. The +Princess snatched the mirror from her basket and, as the creature came near her, she held the +glittering surface before its eyes. It gave one look into the mirror and fell lifeless at her feet, +being frightened to death by its own reflection in the mirror.</p><p align="center"><img +src="images/deadb.jpg" alt="The dead beast"></p><p>Truella now walked through several more caves and +descended a long flight of stairs, which brought her to another door, on which was a sign that +read:<br><br> + "A. WIZARD, Esq.,<br> + Office +hours:<br> + From 10:45 until<br> + a quarter to 11."<br><br>The +Princess, knowing that she had now reached the den of the Wizard who had +stolen her big toe, knocked boldly on the door.<br><br>"Come in!" called a voice.<br><br>Truella +obeyed, and found herself in a large cave, the walls of which were lined with rubies. In each of the +four corners were big electric lights, and these, shining upon the rubies, filled the cave with a deep +red glow. The Wizard himself sat at his desk in one of the corners, and when the Princess entered he +looked up and exclaimed:<br><br>"What! Is it you? Really, I did not expect to see you. How did you +manage to pass the guards I placed within the caves and passageways to prevent your coming +here?"<br><br>"Oh, that was not difficult," answered Truella, "for you must know I am protected by a +power stronger than your own."<br><br>The Wizard was much annoyed at this reply, for he knew it was +true, and that only by cunning could he hope to oppose the pretty Princess. Still, he was resolved not +to give up the big toe unless obliged to, for it was necessary to complete the magic +compound.<br><br>"What do you want?" he asked, after a moment's thought.<br><br>"I want the toe you +stole from me while I was asleep."<br><br>The Wizard knew it was useless to deny the theft, so he +replied:<br><br>"Very well; take a chair, and I will see if I can find it."<br><br>But Truella feared +the little man was deceiving her; so when he turned his back she took the magic veil from her basket +and threw it over her head. Immediately it began unfolding until it covered her completely, from head +to foot.<br><br>The Wizard walked over to a cupboard, which he opened; and, while pretending to search +for the toe, he suddenly turned on a big faucet that was concealed under a shelf. At once the thunder +rolled, the lightning flashed, and from the arched ceiling of the cavern drops of fire began to fall, +coming thicker and thicker until a perfect shower of burning drops filled the room.<br><br>These fell +hissing upon Truella's veil, but could not penetrate it, for they all bounded off and were scattered +upon the rocky floor, where they soon burned themselves out. Seeing this the Wizard gave a sigh of +disappointment and turned off the faucet, when the fire-drops ceased to fall.<br><br>"Please excuse +this little interruption," he said, as if he had not been the cause of it himself. "I'll find the toe +in a few minutes. I must have mislaid it somewhere."<br><br>But Truella suspected he was up to more +mischief, and was on her guard. She saw him stealthily press a button, and in the same instant a deep +gulf opened in the floor of the cave, half way between the Princess and the Wizard.<br><br>Truella did +not know what this meant, at first, unless it was to prevent her getting across the room to where her +toe was; but soon she noticed that the gulf was moving toward her, slowly, but steadily; and, as it +extended across the cave from wall to wall, it would in time be sure to reach the spot where she +stood, when she would, of course, fall into it.<br><br>When she saw her danger the Princess became +frightened, and tried to escape through the door by which she had entered; but to her dismay she found +it locked. Then she turned to look at the Wizard. The little man had perched himself upon a high +stool, and was carelessly swinging his feet and laughing with glee at Truella's awful peril. He +thought that at last he had certainly found a way to destroy her. The poor Princess again looked into +the gulf, which was gradually getting nearer and nearer; and she shuddered at its vast +depths.<br><br>A cold wind began to sweep up from the abyss, and she heard mocking laughter and savage +growls from below, as if evil spirits were eagerly waiting to seize her.<br><br>Just as she was giving +way to despair, and the gulf had crept very close to her feet, Truella thought of her winged dagger. +She drew it from her bosom and, pointing it toward her enemy, said:<br><br> + "Save +me from the Wizard's art—<br> + Fly until you reach his heart.<br> + +Foil his power and set me free,<br> + This is my command to thee!"<br><br>In a +flash the dagger flew from her hand and struck the Wizard full on +his breast. With a loud cry he fell forward into the gulf, which in the same instant closed up with a +crash. Then, when the rocks about her had ceased trembling from the shock, the door swung open, +leaving the Princess at liberty to go where she pleased.</p><p align="center"><img +src="images/wiz4.jpg" alt="The wizard fell into the gulf"></p><p>She now searched the Wizard's +cupboard until she found her toe, which had been safely hidden in a little ivory box. Truella stopped +only long enough to put on her toe, and then she ran through the caves and up the stairways until she +reached the top of the mountain again.<br><br>There she found her Stork patiently awaiting her and, +having seated herself on its back, she rode safely and triumphantly back to her father's +palace.<br><br>The King and Queen were delighted when she recounted to them the success of her +adventure, but they shuddered when they learned of the fearful dangers their sweet little daughter had +encountered.<br><br>"It seems to me," said the good Queen, "that a big toe is scarcely worth all the +trouble you have had in recovering it."<br><br>"Perhaps not," replied the Princess, thoughtfully; "but +a big toe is very handy to have when you wish to dance; and, after all, I succeeded in destroying the +Wicked Wizard, which surely repays me for the trials I have been forced to +undergo."</p><br><br><br><br> + +<p align="center" class="b1"><a name="chapter10"><i>The Tenth Surprise</i></a><br>THE DUCHESS +BREDENBUTTA'S VISIT<br>TO TURVYLAND</p><br><p align="center" class="b2"><img src="images/duch.jpg" +alt="The Duchess in her boat"><br>DUCHESS BREDENBUTTA'S<br>VISIT TO TURVYLAND</p><br><br><p><b><span +class="b3">T</span>HE</b> Duchess Bredenbutta was forty-seventh cousin to the Monarch of Mo and great- +grandniece to the Queen; so you can readily see she was nearly related to the Princess Pattycake and +had blue blood in her veins. She lived in a pretty house on the banks of Rootbeer River, and one of +her favorite amusements was to row on the river in her boat, which, although rather small, was light +as a cork.<br><br>One day, as usual, the Duchess went for a row on the river, expecting to return home +in about an hour; but after floating a long distance down the stream she fell asleep in the boat and +did not awake until she felt a sudden shock.<br><br>Then, sitting up and looking about her, she found, +to her alarm, that the boat had drifted to the end of the Land of Mo, and was in the rapids leading to +the Great Hole in the ground where the river disappeared from view. Becoming very much frightened, +Bredenbutta looked for the oars of her boat, that she might row to the bank; but soon she discovered +that the oars had fallen overboard and were lost, leaving her without any means of saving +herself.<br><br>The poor Duchess now began to cry out; but no one heard her. Gradually the boat came +nearer and nearer to the Great Hole, now bumping against the rocks and now spinning around with the +current, until at last it paused for an instant on the very brink of the chasm down which the river +fell.<br><br>The girl seized the sides of the boat in a firm grasp, and the next moment it plunged +headlong into the Hole.<br><br>After the shock was over Bredenbutta wiped the moisture from her eyes +and looked to see where she was, and what had become of her. She found that she had landed in a very +remarkable country, and for a time could do nothing but gaze in wonder on the strange sights that met +her view.<br><br><img src="images/turvyl.jpg" align="right" alt="Turvyland">The trees were all growing +on their top branches, with their roots high in the air; and the houses rested on the tops of their +chimneys, the smoke going into the ground, and the doorsteps being at the tops of the buildings. A +rabbit was flying around in the air, and a flock of skylarks walked on the ground, as if they belonged +there.<br><br>Bredenbutta rubbed her eyes, for at first the girl thought she must be dreaming; but +when she looked again everything was in the same unnatural position.<br><br><img src="images/wept.jpg" +align="left" alt="He wept real tears when he was pleased">To add to her amazement she now saw a queer +creature coming toward her. She might have taken him for a young man, only ho was just the reverse of +any young man Bredenbutta had ever seen. He stood upon his hands, which were clad in boots, and used +his feet as we use our hands, seeming to be very handy with his toes. His teeth were in his ears, and +he ate with them and heard with his mouth. He also smelled with his eyes and saw out of his +nose—which was all very curious. When he walked he ran, and when he ran he stood still. He spoke +when he was silent and remained dumb when he had anything to say. In addition to this, he wept real +tears when he was pleased, and laughed merrily whenever anything grieved him.<br><br>It was no wonder +the Duchess Bredenbutta stared in surprise when such an odd creature came up to her backward and +looked at her solemnly from his pug nose.</p><p align="center"><img src="images/stared.jpg" +alt=""No wonder the Duchess Bredenbutta stared in surprise.""></p><p>"Who are you?" asked +Bredenbutta, as soon as she could find breath to speak.<br><br>The young man kept quiet and answered: +"My name is Upsydoun."<br><br>"I think you are," laughed Bredenbutta.<br><br>"You think I am what?" +demanded the young man, the voice coming from his ear.<br><br>"Up-side-down," she replied.<br><br>At +this retort the tears rolled down his cheeks with joy.<br><br>"Why, it is <i>you</i> who are up-side- +down," he said; "how in the world did you get up here?"<br><br>"Down here, you mean," corrected the +Duchess, with dignity.<br><br>"I mean nothing of the kind," he said, silently, while his nose twinkled +with amusement; "this country is up, and not down."<br><br>"What country is it?" inquired Bredenbutta, +much perplexed by such an absurd statement.<br><br>"Why, Turvyland, to be sure," was the +answer.<br><br>"Oh!" sighed Bredenbutta; but she was no wiser than before.<br><br>"Now you are here," +said Upsydoun, "you may come home with me and eat some dinner."<br><br>"I shall be very glad to," +answered the Duchess, who was really hungry. "Where do you live?"<br><br>"Over there," replied +Upsydoun, pointing to the south; "so stay where you are and follow me." Then he walked away on his +hands in exactly the opposite direction from that he had indicated.<br><br>Bredenbutta followed him, +and shortly after encountered several other people, of just the same queer appearance as her +conductor. They looked out of their noses at her in great surprise, and, without speaking, asked +Upsydoun who she was.<br><br>"The Duchess Bredenbutta," he silently answered, "I found her where the +Rootbeer River bubbles up. Isn't she a queer-looking creature?"<br><br>"She is, indeed," they all +answered, in a still chorus, and then they followed the girl out of curiosity, as boys follow a band +or a dancing bear. When they reached the house of Upsydoun more than a hundred inhabitants of +Turvyland were at Bredenbutta's heels and Upsydoun's thumbs.<br><br>She was welcomed very kindly, +however, and the young man's mother kissed the Duchess with her left ear, an act which was considered +a special mark of favor in Turvyland,<br><br>"Would you like to stand up and rest yourself until +dinner-time?" asked the lady when the girl had entered the parlor.<br><br>"No, thank you," replied +Bredenbutta, who was very tired. Being ignorant of their customs she did not know these people usually +stood up when they slept or rested. Her answer seemed to satisfy Upsydoun's mother, who thought when +she said "no" she meant "yes."<br><br>"You really don't look equal to lying down," she remarked, +pleasantly; "so you may stand until I call you to dinner, which will be in a long time." Then she +excused herself and walked backward out of the window, which Bredenbutta noticed they all used instead +of doors.<br><br>"Dear me," said the Duchess, when she was left alone; "I am sure I shall never be +able to understand these strange people. But I mean to sit down, anyway, and if it really is a long +time before dinner, I shall probably starve in the meantime."<br><br>She had not rested more than a +few minutes, however, before the lady again put her foot through the window, and waving it invitingly +toward her exclaimed: "Go away to dinner."<br><br>"Go away!" replied the Duchess in dismay; "where +shall I go to?"<br><br>"Why, to me, of course," answered Upsydoun's mother, dumbly; but she winked her +nose thoughtfully, as if she scarcely knew how to converse with her strange visitor. Surely +Bredenbutta ought to know that when they said "go" in Turvyland, they meant "come."<br><br>In spite of +her uncertainty, she followed her hostess, and when they entered the dining-room the Duchess was +shocked to see all the family stand on their heads on the chairs and pick up their knives and forks +with their toes. She was more horrified, however, when they began to eat; for, contrary to all custom, +these people placed their food in their ears. And they did it so calmly that she did not even +remonstrate, remembering it must be their habit to eat in this way.<br><br>She, herself, sat down in +her chair in a proper manner, and began to eat with the fork in her hand; and when the people of +Turvyland saw this, they all shed tears of merriment.<br><br><img src="images/footip.jpg" +align="right" alt="The child caught its foot in its pocket">Just then the youngest child of the family +began laughing, and the mother rushed to it as fast as her hands could carry her, to see what was the +matter. But the child had only put its foot into its pocket and could not get it out again. The mother +soon managed to get it free, and then the child stopped laughing and began weeping as happily as any +of the others.<br><br>Bredenbutta was greatly bewildered at all this, but she ate heartily, +nevertheless, and after having begged her in vain to stand on her head, as they did, the family let +her alone, being surprised to see how well she could use her hands. After dinner Upsydoun's sister +played on the piano with her toes, while the others indulged in a dance, whirling around on their +thumbs in a manner truly marvelous, and seeming, by their tears, to enjoy themselves very +much.<br><br>As the dance ended a kitten came running into the room on its ears and the tip of its +tail, and this looked so funny that Bredenbutta began laughing. But seeing she had frightened her kind +friends, who wanted to send for a doctor, she refrained from laughing, and asked, gravely, if she +could not find a way to return to the Valley of Mo.<br><br>"The only possible way of getting down +there," replied Upsydoun, "is to jump into the Rootbeer River; but that would be dangerous, and none +of our people have ever tried it"<br><br>"Any danger," said the Duchess, "I will gladly brave; for +otherwise I shall be obliged to spend my entire life down here, among people whose ways are exactly +opposite to my own. If you will kindly take me to the river I shall lose no time in making an effort +to return home."<br><br>They good-naturedly assented to this, and walked backward with her until they +came to the place where the river bubbled up. It really did bubble <i>up</i>, Bredenbutta noticed, +although she knew very well she had fallen <i>down</i> the Great Hole. But, then, everything was +topsyturvy in this strange land.<br><br>The girl found her little boat, which had stranded on the +beach, and having placed it where she could push it into the river, she turned to say good by to the +queer people of Turvyland.<br><br>"I am glad to see you go," said Upsydoun, without speaking, "for I +like you. But you are a strange creature, and perhaps know what is best for you. Here are some oars +for your boat, for I see you have none, and when you get down to your country you may need +them."<br><br>Bredenbutta joyfully accepted the oars, and placed them in her boat. Then the people of +Turvyland all kissed her with their left ears and waved their toes in farewell, while the Duchess got +into the boat and pushed it out into the river<br><br>Instantly she was in the midst of such a +whirling of foam and rushing and roaring of rootbeer that she could neither see nor hear anything. +Gasping for breath, the girl clung tightly to the sides of the boat, and in a few minutes it was all +over, and the boat bobbed up in the Valley of Mo—just above the Great Hole. Bredenbutta then +seized the oars and rowed hard until there was no danger of her falling in again, and soon she had +passed the rapids and was rowing safely up the river to her own home.<br><br>Of course the Duchess was +very glad again to be among the people who acted in a natural manner, instead of the absurd fashion of +her friends, the Turvylanders. She resolved that whenever she rowed her boat upon the river again, she +would be careful to keep away from the Great Hole, for she realized that another visit to Upsydoun and +his people would be very trying to her nerves.</p><p align="center"><img src="images/turvyp.jpg" +alt="People in Turvyland"></p><br><br><br><br> + +<table width="100%" border="0"><tr><th width="100%" align="center" class="b1"><i>The Eleventh +Surprise</i><br><br>PRINCE FIDDLECUMDOO<br>AND THE GIANT<th><a name="chapter11"><img +src="images/ancrac.jpg" alt="The animal cracker tree" align="right"></a></table><p><img +src="images/chap11.jpg" alt="It happened,">one morning, that the Monarch of Mo was not in his usual +pleasant humor; and, of course, there was an excellent reason for this.<br><br>At the back of his +garden grew one tree that generally bore an abundant crop of animal-crackers, and although the King +and his court, being surfeited with all the dainties of the land, did not care much for these edibles, +the younger inhabitants of Mo were especially fond of them, and yelled with delight whenever the King +divided the crop of his tree among them.<br><br>A few days before the King had examined the tree and +found the animal-crackers not quite ripe. Whereupon he had gone away and forgotten all about them. +And, in his absence, they had ripened to a delicious light brown; and their forms had rounded out, so +that they hung as thickly together as peas in a pod. As they swung from their stems, swaying backward +and forward in the light breeze, they waited and waited for some one to come and pick them. But no one +came near the tree, and the animals grew cross and restless in consequence.<br><br>"I wonder when we +shall be gathered," remarked a hippopotamus-cracker, with a yawn.<br><br>"Oh, you wonder, do you?" +mockingly replied a camel-cracker hanging near, "do you really expect any one to gather <i>you</i>, +with your thick hide and clumsy legs? Why, the children would break their teeth on you at the first +bite."<br><br>"What!" screamed the hippopotamus, in much anger, "do you dare insult <i>me</i>, you +humpbacked beast of burden?"<br><br>"Now then—now then!" interrupted a wolf-cracker that hung +from a stem just above them; "what's the use of fighting, when we are so soon to be eaten?"<br><br>But +the camel-cracker would not be appeased.<br><br>"Thick-headed brute!" he yelled at the hippopotamus, +angrily.<br><br>"Hump-backed idiot!" shrieked the other.<br><br>At this the camel swung himself +fiercely on his branch, and bumped against the hippopotamus, knocking him off from the tree. The +ground underneath was chocolate, and it was soft and sticky, not having dried since the last rain. So +when the hippopotamus fell he sank half way into the ground, and his beautiful brown color was +spattered with the muddy chocolate.<br><br>At this vengeful deed on the part of the camel all the +other animals became furious. A full-grown goat-cracker swung himself against the camel and knocked +it, in turn, from its stem; and in falling on the ground it broke its hump off. Then a lion-cracker +knocked the goat down, and an elephant knocked a cat down, and soon the whole tree was in a violent +commotion. The animals fought with each other so desperately that before long the entire treeful of +animal-crackers had fallen to the ground, where many lay broken and disfigured, and the remainder were +sunk deep in the chocolate mud.<br><br>So when the King, finally remembering his tree, came and looked +on the sorry sight, it dampened his usual good spirits, and he heartily wished he had picked the +quarrelsome crackers before they began to fight among themselves.<br><br><img src="images/askper.jpg" +align="left" alt="Fiddlecumdoo asks permission to go on a journey">While he stood thinking dismally on +this, up came Prince Fiddlecumdoo and asked permission to go on a journey.<br><br>"Where do you wish +to go?" asked the King.<br><br>"I am tired of this beautiful Valley," answered Fiddlecumdoo, "and as +the bicycle tree beside the Crystal Lake is now hanging full of ripe wheels, I thought I would gather +one and ride over into the next valley in search of adventure." You see, this Prince was the King's +youngest son, and had been rather spoiled by petting, as youngest sons often are.<br><br>"The next +valley, my son, is inhabited by the giant Hartilaf," said the King, "and should you meet him he might +do you an injury."<br><br>"Oh, I am not afraid of Hartilaf," replied Fiddlecumdoo, boldly. "If he +should not be pleasant to me, I could run away from him on my wheel."<br><br>"I don't know about +that," responded the King. "There may be bicycle trees in the next valley, as well as here; and it is +always dangerous and foolish for any one to leave this Valley, where there is everything that heart +could wish. Instead of running away in search of adventures, you would do better to remain at home and +help your mother pick collar buttons and neckties for the family."<br><br>"That is work," said +Fiddlecumdoo, sulkily, "and I hate work."<br><br>"Yet somebody has to pick the collar buttons," +returned the King, "or we should be unable to keep our collars on."<br><br>"Then let Jollikin help my +mother. I am horribly tired of this stupid place, and shall not be happy until I have traveled around +and seen something more of the world."<br><br>"Well, well! go if you wish," answered the King, +impatiently. "But take care of yourself, for when you are away from this Valley there will be no one +to protect you from danger."<br><br>"I can take care of myself," cried the Prince, "so do not worry +about me," and he ran away quickly, before his father had time to change his mind and withdraw his +consent.<br><br>He selected the best and ripest bicycle on the tree, and, having mounted it, was soon +speeding away along the path to the mountains.<br><br>When he reached the far eastern part of Mo he +came on a bush bearing a very good quality of violins, and this at once attracted Fiddlecumdoo, who +was a most excellent violinist, being able to play correctly a great number of tunes. So he dismounted +and selected from the bush a small violin that seemed to have a sweet tone. This he carried with him, +under his arm, thinking if he became lonesome he could amuse himself with the music.<br><br>Shortly +after resuming his journey he came to the Maple Plains, a level stretch of country composed entirely +of maple sugar. These plains were quite smooth, and very pleasant to ride on; but so swiftly did his +bicycle carry him that he soon crossed the plains and came on a river of pure maple syrup, so wide and +deep that he could neither leap nor swim it.<br><br>Dismounting from his bicycle the Prince began +looking for some means of crossing the river. No bridge was visible in either direction, and the bank +was bare save for a few low bushes on which grew maple bonbons and maple caramels.<br><br><img +src="images/stream.jpg" align="right" alt="The Price rides over the stream">But Prince Fiddlecumdoo +did not mean to be turned back by so small a matter as a river, so he scooped a hole in the maple +sand, and having filled it with syrup from the river, lighted a match and began boiling it. After it +had boiled for a time the maple syrup became stringy, and the Prince quickly threw a string of it +across the river. It hardened almost immediately, and on this simple bridge the Prince rode over the +stream.<br><br>Once on the other side he sped up the mountain and over the top into the next valley, +where, he stopped and began to look about him.<br><br>He could see no roads in any direction, but away +down at the foot of the valley was a monstrous house, so big you could easily put a small village +inside it, including the church. This, Fiddlecumdoo thought, must be where the giant lived; and, +although he saw no one about the house, he decided to make a call and introduce himself to Mr. +Hartilaf. So he rode slowly down the valley, playing on his violin as he went, that the music might +announce his coming.<br><br>The giant Hartilaf was lying on the sofa in his sitting-room, waiting for +his wife to prepare the dinner; and he had nearly fallen asleep when the sound of Fiddlecumdoo's music +fell on his ear. This was so unusual in his valley that the giant arose and went to the front door to +see what caused it.<br><br>The Prince had by this time nearly reached the house, and when the giant +appeared he was somewhat startled, as he had not expected to see any one quite so big. But he took +care not to show any fear, and, taking off his hat, he bowed politely to the giant and +said:<br><br>"This is Mr. Hartilaf, I suppose?"</p><p align="center"><img src="images/bowed.jpg" +alt=""Taking off his hat he bowed politely to the giant.""></p><p>"That is my name," replied +the giant, grinning at the small size of his visitor. "May I ask who you are?"<br><br>"I am Prince +Fiddlecumdoo, and I live in the next valley, which is called the Valley of Mo. Being determined to see +something of the world, I am traveling for pleasure, and have just dropped in on you for a friendly +call."<br><br>"You are very welcome, I am sure," returned the giant. "If you will graciously step into +my humble home I shall be glad to entertain you at dinner."<br><br>Prince Fiddlecumdoo bowed low and +accepted the invitation, but when he endeavored to enter the house he found the steps so big that even +the first one was higher than his head, and he could not climb to the top of it.<br><br><img +src="images/pickup.jpg" align="left" alt="The giant picked him up">Seeing his difficulty the giant +carefully picked him up with one finger and his thumb, and put him down on the palm of his other +hand.<br><br>"Do not leave my bicycle," said the Prince, "for should anything happen to it I could not +get home again."<br><br>So the giant put the bicycle in his vest pocket, and then he entered the house +and walked to the kitchen, where his wife was engaged preparing the dinner.<br><br>"Guess what I've +found," said the giant to his wife, holding his hand doubled up so she could not see the +Prince.<br><br>"I'm sure I don't know," answered the woman.<br><br>"But, guess!" pleaded the +giant.<br><br>"Go away and don't bother me," she replied, bending over the stewpan, "or you won't have +any dinner to-day."<br><br>The giant, however, was in a merry mood, and for a joke he suddenly opened +his hand and dropped the Prince down his wife's neck.<br><br>"Oh, oh!" she screamed, trying to get at +the place where the Prince had fallen, which was near the small of her back. "What is it? I'm sure +it's some horrible crocodile, or dragon, or something that will bite me!" And the poor woman lay down +on the carpet and began to kick her heels against the floor in terror.<br><br>The giant roared with +laughter, but the Prince, now being able to crawl out, scrambled from the lady's neck, and, standing +beside her head, he made a low bow and said:<br><br>"Do not be afraid, Madam; it is only I. But I must +say it was a very ungallant trick for your husband to play on you, to say nothing of my feelings in +the matter."<br><br>"So it was," she exclaimed, getting upon her feet again, and staring curiously at +Fiddlecumdoo. "But tell me who you are and where you came from."<br><br>The giant, having enjoyed his +laugh, now introduced the Prince to his wife, and as dinner was ready to serve they sat down at the +table together.<br><br>Fiddlecumdoo got along very well at dinner, for the giant thoughtfully placed +him on the top of the table, where he could walk around as he pleased. There being no knife nor fork +small enough for him to use, the Prince took one of the giant's toothpicks, which was as big as a +sword, and with this served himself from the various dishes that stood on the table.<br><br>When the +meal was over the giant lighted his pipe, the bowl of which was as big as a barrel, and asked +Fiddlecumdoo if he would kindly favor them with some music.<br><br>"Certainly," replied the +Prince.<br><br>"Please come into the kitchen," said the giantess, "for then I can listen to the music +while I am washing the dishes."<br><br>The prince did not like to refuse this request, although at +home he was not allowed to enter his mother's kitchen; so the giant carried him in and placed him on a +high shelf, where Fiddlecumdoo seated himself on a spool of thread and began to play his violin.</p><p +align="center"><img src="images/played.jpg" alt="Fiddlecumdoo played for the giantess"></p><p>The big +people enjoyed the music very much at first, for the Prince was a capital player. But soon came a +disagreeable interruption.<br><br>About a month before the giant had caught several dancing-bears in +the mountains, and, having brought them home, had made them into strings of sausages. These were +hanging in graceful festoons from the beams of the kitchen ceiling, awaiting the time when they should +be eaten.<br><br>Now when the dancing-bear sausages heard the music of Fiddlecumdoo's violin, they +could not resist dancing; for it is well known that sausages made from real dancing-bears can not +remain quiet where there is music. The Prince was playing such a lively tune, that presently the +strings of sausage broke away from the ceiling and fell clattering to the floor, where they danced +about furiously. Not being able to see where they were going, they bumped against the giant and his +wife, thumping them on their heads and backs, and pounding them so severely that the woman became +frightened and hid under the table, while the giant started to run away.<br><br>Seeing their plight, +Fiddlecumdoo stopped playing, and at once the sausages fell to the floor and lay still.<br><br>"That +was strange," said the giant, as soon as he could catch his breath; "the bears evidently do not forget +how to dance even after they are chopped up into sausage meat. I must beg you to abandon your concert +for the present, but before you visit us again we shall have eaten the sausages, and then you may play +to your heart's content."<br><br>"Had I known they were so lively," remarked the giantess, as she +crawled from beneath the table, "we should have eaten them before this."<br><br>"That reminds me that +I intended to have stewed polar bears for supper," continued the giant; "so I think I will walk over +into Alaska and catch some."<br><br>"Perhaps the Prince would prefer elephant pie," suggested the +lady, "and in that case you might make a run into South America for elephants."<br><br>"I have no +choice in the matter," said the Prince, "never having eaten either. But is it not rather a long +journey to Alaska or to South America?"<br><br>"Not at all!" protested the giant. "I shall enjoy the +walk, and can easily be back by sundown. Won't you come with me?" he asked the boy. But Fiddlecumdoo +did not like the idea of so long a journey, and begged to be excused.<br><br>The giantess brought her +lord a great bag to put the polar bears in, and he prepared to start.<br><br>"I leave you to amuse my +wife during my absence," he said to the Prince. "Pray make yourself entirely at home, and use my +castle as you would your own house, and if I have good luck you shall eat a delicious polar-bear stew +for your supper."<br><br>Then he slung the sack across his back and went away, whistling merrily. And +so great were his strides that in less than a minute he was out of sight.<br><br>"This is my busy +day," said the giantess to Fiddlecumdoo, "and I fear I shall not be able to entertain you in a proper +manner, for I must hasten to the laundry to wash the clothes. However, if you care to accompany me, we +may converse together while I am doing my work."<br><br>"I shall take great pleasure in visiting your +laundry," he replied, "for never before have I been in such a place. And surely it will be more +agreeable to watch you at your work than to spend the day alone in these great rooms."<br><br>"Come +along, then," she said, and picking him up she placed him in the pocket of her apron, for she knew he +would be unable to walk down the flight of stairs that led to the laundry. He was very comfortable in +the pocket, which was just deep enough to allow his head and shoulders to project from the top. +Therefore he was able to see all that was going on while the lady was at work. He watched her wash and +rinse the clothes, and was greatly interested in the operation, as it was all new to him.<br><br>By +and by the giantess brought an immense clothes-wringer from a shelf, and having fastened it to the +side of the big wash tub began to wring out the clothes.<br><br>Prince Fiddlecumdoo had never seen a +clothes-wringer before, and so pleased was he with the novelty of it that he leaned far out of the +pocket to watch it work. But, unfortunately, he lost his balance, and before he knew what had happened +to him had fallen from the pocket and lay sprawling on one of the giant's shirts, which was just then +passing through the wringer.<br><br>The woman did not notice his fall, and the next instant he was +drawn between the two great rollers, and came out on the other side as thin and flat as a sheet of +paper.<br><br>Then the giant's wife saw what she had done, and realizing how serious was the Prince's +condition, the good lady was much grieved over the accident. She picked Fiddlecumdoo up and tried to +stand him on his feet, but he was so thin that at the least draft he fluttered like a flag, while a +puff of wind would blow him completely over.<br><br>"Dear me!" exclaimed the woman, sorrowfully, +"whatever can we do with you in that shape?"<br><br>"I really do not know what will become of me," +replied the Prince. "I am certainly no good in this condition. I can not even walk across the room +without toppling over. Can not you manage to push me together again?" The giantess tried to do this, +but the Prince was so sharp that his edges hurt her hands, and all she could do was to fold him up and +carry him into the drawing-room, where she laid him carefully on the center-table.<br><br>Just before +sundown the giant returned from Alaska, bringing several fat polar-bears in his bag; and scarcely had +he set foot within the house before he inquired after his guest, the Prince.<br><br>"You will find him +on the drawing-room table," said the giantess. "I accidently ran him through the clothes-wringer this +afternoon, and the poor boy is as thin as a pie crust. So I folded him up and put him away until you +returned."</p><p align="center"><img src="images/flat.jpg" alt="The Prince, all flat"></p><p>The giant +immediately went to the table and unfolded Fiddlecumdoo, asking him how he felt.<br><br>"Very +miserable," answered the Prince, "for I can not move at all when I am folded up. Where is my +bicycle?"<br><br>The giant searched all his pockets, but could not find it.<br><br>"I must have lost +it on my journey to Alaska," he said.<br><br>"Then how am I ever to get home again?" asked the +Prince.<br><br>"That is a puzzle," the giant responded, thoughtfully. "I do not see how you could ride +on a bicycle even if you had one, and you certainly can not walk far in your present +condition."<br><br>"Not if the wind blows," acknowledged the Prince.<br><br>"Couldn't you go +edgewise?" asked the giant after a moment's reflection.<br><br>"I might try," answered Fiddlecumdoo, +hopefully.<br><br>So the giant stood him up, and he tried to walk edgewise. But whenever a breath of +wind struck him he fell over at once, and several times he got badly crumpled up, so that the giant +had to smooth him out again with his hands.<br><br>"This certainly will not do at all," declared the +giant; "for not only are you getting wrinkled, but you are liable to be blown away; altogether. I have +just thought of a plan to get you back into the Valley of Mo again, and when you are in your own +country your friends may get you out of the scrape the best way they can."<br><br>Hartilaf then made +the Prince into a neat roll and tied a string around the middle, to hold it in place. Then he tucked +the roll under his arm and carried it to the top of the mountain that stood between the two valleys. +Placing the Prince carefully on the ground he started him rolling, and in a short time he had rolled +down the mountain side into the Valley of Mo.<br><br>At first the people were much frightened, not +knowing what this strange thing could be that had come rolling into their midst. They stood around, +curiously looking at the roll, but afraid to touch it, when suddenly Fiddlecumdoo began to cry out. +And then, so fearful was the sound, they all ran away as fast as their legs could carry +them.<br><br>Prince Thinkabit, however, being more courageous than the rest, at last ventured to +approach and cut the string that fastened the roll. Instantly it opened, and to their amazement the +people saw what it was.<br><br>"Upon my word, it is brother Fiddlecumdoo!" cried Prince Thinkabit. +"The giant must have stepped on him."<br><br>"No, indeed," said poor Fiddlecumdoo, "I've been run +through a clothes-wringer, which is much worse than being stepped on."<br><br>With many expressions of +pity the kind people stood the Prince up and helped him to the palace, where the King was greatly +shocked at his sad plight. Fiddlecumdoo was so broad that the only thing he could sit down on was the +sofa, and he was so thin that when Princess Pattycake sneezed he was blown half way across the +room.<br><br>At dinner he could eat nothing that was not sliced as thin as a shaving, and so sad was +his predicament that the King determined to ask the Wise Donkey what could be done to relieve his +unfortunate son.<br><br>After hearing all the particulars of the accident, the Donkey said: "Blow him +up."<br><br>"I did blow him up, for being so careless," replied the King; "but it didn't make him any +thicker."<br><br>"What I mean," explained the Donkey, "is to bore a hole in the top of his head, and +blow air into him until he resumes his natural shape. Then, if he takes care of himself, he soon will +be all right again."<br><br><img src="images/inflat.jpg" align="left" alt="The King inflates the +Prince">So the King returned to the palace and bored a hole in Fiddlecumdoo's head, and then pumped +him full of air with a bicycle pump. When he had filled out into his natural shape they put a plug in +the hole, and stopped it up; and after that Fiddlecumdoo could walk around as well as before his +accident.<br><br>His only danger now was that he might get punctured; and, indeed, his friends found +him one day lying in the garden, all flattened out again, the Prince having pricked his finger on a +rose-bush and thereby allowed his air to escape. But they inflated him once again, and afterward he +was more careful of himself.<br><br>Fiddlecumdoo had such a horror of being flat that, if his father +ever wished to make him behave, he threatened to stick a pin into him, and that always had the desired +effect.<br><br>After several years, the Prince, being a hearty eater, filled up with solid flesh, and +had no further use for the air-pump; but his experience had made him so nervous that he never again +visited the giant Hartilaf, for fear of encountering another accident.</p><br><br><br><br> + +<table width="100%" border="0"><tr><th width="100%" align="center" class="b1"><i>The Twelfth +Surprise</i><br><br>THE LAND OF<br>THE CIVILIZED MONKEYS<th><a name="chapter12"><img +src="images/kifly.jpg" alt="Prince Zingle flies his kite" align="right"></a></table><p +align="center"><img src="images/civmon.jpg" alt="The civilized monkeys"></p><br><p><b><span +class="b3">I</span> MUST</b> now tell you of a very strange adventure that befell Prince Zingle, +which, had it not turned out exactly as it did, might have resulted in making him a captive for life +in a remarkable country.<br><br>By consulting Smith's History of Prince Zingle you will notice that +from boyhood he had a great passion for flying kites, and unlike other boys, he always undertook to +make each kite larger than the last one. Therefore his kites grew in size, and became larger and +larger, until at length the Prince made one twice as tall as himself.<br><br>When it was finished he +was very proud of this great kite, and took it out to a level place to see how well it would fly, +being accompanied by many of the people of Mo, who took considerable interest in the Prince's +amusement.<br><br>There happened to be a strong south wind blowing and, fearing the kite might get +away from him, Zingle tied the string around his waist. It flew beautifully at first, but pulled so +hard the Prince could scarcely hold it.<br><br><img src="images/drawn.jpg" align="left" alt="Poor +Zingle was drawn into the air">At last, when the string was all let out, there came a sudden gust of +wind, and in an instant poor Zingle was drawn into the air as easily as an ordinary kite draws its +tail. Up and up he soared, and the kite followed the wind and carried him over many countries until +the strength died out of the air, when the kite slowly settled toward the earth and landed the Prince +in the top of a tall tree.<br><br>He now untied the string from his waist and fastened it to a branch +of the tree, as he did not wish to lose the kite after all his bother in making it.<br><br>Then he +began to climb down to the ground, but on reaching the lower branches he was arrested by a most +curious sight.<br><br>Standing on the ground, and gazing up at him, were a dozen monkeys, all very +neatly dressed and all evidently filled with surprise at the Prince's sudden appearance in the +tree.<br><br>"What a very queer animal!" exclaimed an old monkey, who wore a tall silk hat and had +white kid gloves on his hands. Gold spectacles rested on his nose, and he pointed toward the Prince +with a gold-headed cane. By his side was a little girl-monkey, dressed in pink skirts and a blue +bonnet; and when she saw Zingle she clung to the old monkey's hand and seemed frightened.<br><br>"Oh, +grandpapa!" she cried; "take me back to mamma; I'm afraid the strange beast will bite me."<br><br>Just +then a big monkey, wearing a blue coat with brass buttons and swinging a short club in his hand, +strutted up to them and said:<br><br>"Don't be afraid, little one. The beast can't hurt you while I'm +around!" And then he tipped his cap over his left ear and shook his club at the Prince, as if he did +not know what fear meant.<br><br>Two monkeys, who were dressed in red jackets and carried muskets in +their hands, now came running up, and, having looked at Zingle with much interest, they called for +some one to bring them a strong rope.<br><br>"We will capture the brute and put him in the Zoo," said +one of the soldier-monkeys.<br><br>"What kind of animal is it?" asked the other.<br><br>"I do not +know. But some of our college professors can doubtless tell, and even if they can't they will give it +some scientific name that will satisfy the people just as well."<br><br>All this time Prince Zingle +remained clinging to the branches of the tree. He could not understand a word of the monkey language, +and therefore had no idea what they were talking about; but he judged from their actions that the +monkeys were not friendly. When they brought a long and stout rope, and prepared to throw one end of +it over his head, in order to capture him, he became angry and called out to +them:<br><br>"Stop—I command you! What is the meaning of this strange conduct? I am Prince +Zingle, eldest son of the Monarch of Mo, and, since I have been blown into your country through an +accident, I certainly deserve kind treatment at your hands."<br><br>But this speech had no meaning in +the ears of the monkeys, who said to each other:<br><br>"Hear him bark! He jabbers away almost as if +he could talk!"<br><br>By this time a large crowd of monkeys had surrounded the tree, some being +barefooted boy-monkeys, and some lady-monkeys dressed in silken gowns and gorgeous raiment of the +latest mode, and others men-monkeys of all sorts and conditions. There were dandified monkeys and +sober-looking business monkeys, as well as several who appeared to be politicians and officials of +high degree.<br><br>"Stand back, all of you!" shouted one of the soldiers. "We're going to capture +this remarkable beast for the royal menagerie, and unless you stand out of the way he may show fight +and bite some one."<br><br>So they moved back to a safe distance, and the soldier-monkey prepared to +throw a rope.<br><br>"Stop!" cried Zingle, again; "do you take me for a thief, that you try to bind +me? I am a prince of the royal blood, and unless you treat me respectfully I shall have my father, the +King, march his army on you and destroy your whole country."<br><br>"He barks louder," said the +soldier. "Look out for him; he may be dangerous." The next moment he threw the rope and caught poor +Zingle around his arms and body, so that he was helpless. Then the soldier-monkey pulled hard on the +rope, and Prince Zingle fell out of the tree to the ground.</p><p align="center"><img +src="images/zcaught.jpg" alt=""He threw the rope and caught poor Zingle around his arms and +body.""></p><p>At first the monkeys all pressed backward, as if frightened, but their soldiers +cried out:<br><br>"We've got him; he can't bite now."<br><br>Then one of them approached the Prince +and punched him with a stick, saying, "Stand up!"<br><br>Zingle did not understand the words, but he +resented being prodded with the stick, so he sprang up and rushed on the soldier, kicking the stick +from his hands, his own arms being bound by the rope.<br><br>The monkeys screamed and rushed in every +direction, but the other soldier came behind the Prince and knocked him down with the butt of his gun. +Then he tied his legs with another rope, and, seeing him thus bound, the crowd of monkeys, which had +scattered and fallen over one another in their efforts to escape, came creeping timidly back, and +looked on him with fear and trembling.<br><br>"We've subdued him at last," remarked the soldier who +had been kicked. "But he's a very fierce animal, and I shall take him to the Zoo and lock him in one +of the strongest cages."<br><br>So they led poor Zingle away to where the Royal Zoological Gardens +were located, and there they put him into a big cage with iron bars, the door being fastened with two +great padlocks.<br><br>Before very long every monkey in the country learned that a strange beast had +been captured and brought to the Zoo; and soon a large crowd had gathered before Zingle's cage to +examine him.<br><br>"Isn't he sweet!" said a lady-monkey who held a green parasol over her head and +wore a purple veil on her face.<br><br>"Sweet!" grunted a man-monkey standing beside her, "he's the +ugliest looking brute I ever saw! Scarcely has any hair on him at all, and no tail, and very little +chin. I wonder where on earth the creature came from?"<br><br>"It may be one of those beings from whom +our race is descended," said another onlooker. "The professors say we evolved from some primitive +creature of this sort."<br><br>"Heaven forbid!" cried a dandy-monkey, whose collar was so high that it +kept tipping his hat over his eyes. "If I thought such a creature as that was one of my forefathers, I +should commit suicide at once."<br><br>Zingle had been sitting on the floor of his cage and wondering +what was to become of him in this strange country of monkeys, and now, to show his authority, one of +the keepers took a long stick and began to poke the Prince to make him stand up.<br><br><img +src="images/blow.jpg" align="right" alt="The Prince struck his keeper a sharp blow on the head">"Stop +that!" shouted the angry captive, and catching hold of the stick he jerked it from the keeper's hand +and struck him a sharp blow on the head with it.<br><br>All the lady-monkeys screamed at this, and the +men-monkeys exclaimed:<br><br>"What an ugly disposition the beast has!"<br><br>The children-monkeys +began to throw peanuts between the bars of the cage, and Zingle, who had now become very hungry, +picked them up and ate them. This act so pleased the little monkeys that they shouted with +laughter.<br><br>At last two solemn-looking monkeys with gray hair, and wearing long black coats and +white neckties, came up to the cage, where they were greeted with much respect by the other +monkeys.<br><br>"So this is the strange animal," said one of the new-comers, putting on his spectacles +and looking sharply at the captive; "do you recognize the species, Professor?"<br><br>The other aged +monkey also regarded the Prince critically before he answered:<br><br>"I can not say I have ever seen +a specimen of this genus before. But one of our text-books mentions an obscure animal called Homo +Peculiaris, and I have no doubt this is one of that family. I shall write an article on the creature +and claim he is a Homo, and without doubt the paper will create quite a stir in the scientific +world."<br><br>"See here," suddenly demanded Prince Zingle, standing up and shaking the bars of his +cage, "are you going to give me anything to eat? Or do you expect me to live on peanuts +forever?"<br><br><img src="images/zcage.jpg" align="right" alt="The professor monkeys examine +Zingle">Not knowing what he said, none of the monkeys paid any attention to this question. But one of +the professor-monkeys appeared to listen attentively, and remarked to friend: "There seems to be a +smoothness and variety of sound in his speech that indicates that he possesses some sort of language. +Had I time to study this brute, I might learn his method of communicating with his fellows. Indeed, +there is a possibility that he may turn out to be the missing link."<br><br>However, the professor not +yet having learned his language, Prince Zingle was obliged to remain hungry. The monkeys threw several +cocoanuts into the cage, but the prisoner did not know what kind of fruit these were; so, after +several attempts to bite the hard shell, he decided they were not good to eat.<br><br>Day after day +now passed away, and, although crowds of monkeys came to examine Zingle in his cage, the poor Prince +grew very pale and thin for lack of proper food, while the continuance of his unhappy imprisonment +made him sad and melancholy.<br><br>"Could I but escape and find my way back to my father's valley," +he moaned, wearily, "I should be willing to fly small kites forever afterward."<br><br>Often he begged +them to let him go, but the monkeys gruffly commanded him to "stop his jabbering," and poked him with +long sticks having sharp points; so that the Prince's life became one of great misery.<br><br>At the +end of about two weeks a happy relief came to Zingle, for then a baby hippopotamus was captured and +brought to the Royal Zoo, and after this the monkeys left the Prince's cage and crowded around that of +the new arrival.<br><br>Finding himself thus deserted, Prince Zingle began to seek a means of escape +from his confinement. His first attempt was to break the iron bars; but soon he found they were too +big and strong. Then he shook the door with all his strength; but the big padlocks held firm, and +could not be broken. Then the prisoner gave way to despair, and threw himself on the floor of the +cage, weeping bitterly.<br><br>Suddenly he heard a great shout from the direction of the cage where +the baby hippopotamus was confined, and, rising to his feet, the Prince walked to the bars and +attempted to look out and discover what was causing the excitement. To his astonishment he found he +was able to thrust his head between two of the iron bars, having grown so thin through hunger and +abuse, that he was much smaller than when the monkeys had first captured him. He realized at once that +if his head would pass between the bars, his body could be made to do so, likewise. So he struggled +bravely, and at last succeeded in squeezing his body between the bars and leaping safely to the +ground.<br><br><img src="images/zesc.jpg" align="left" alt="Zingle's escape">Finding himself at +liberty, the Prince lost no time in running to the tree where he had left his kite. But on the way +some of the boy-monkeys discovered him and raised a great cry, which soon brought hundreds of his +enemies in pursuit.<br><br>Zingle had a good start, however, and soon reached the tree. Quickly he +climbed up the trunk and branches until he had gained the limb where the string of his kite was still +fastened. Untying the cord, he wound it around his waist several times, and then, finding a strong +north wind blowing, he skilfully tossed the kite into the air. At once it filled and mounted to the +sky, lifting Zingle from the tree and carrying him with perfect ease.<br><br>It was fortunate he got +away at that moment, for several of the monkeys had scrambled up the tree after him, and were almost +near enough to seize him by the legs when, to their surprise, he shot into the air. Indeed, so amazed +were they by this remarkable escape of their prisoner that the monkeys remained staring into the air +until Prince Zingle had become a little speck in the sky above them and finally +disappeared.<br><br>That was the last our Prince ever saw of the strange country of the monkeys, for +the wind carried his kite straight back to the Valley of Mo. When Zingle found himself above his +father's palace, he took out his pocket-knife and cut the string of the kite, and immediately fell +head foremost into a pond of custard that lay in the back yard, where he dived through a floating +island of whipped cream and disappeared from view.<br><br>Nuphsed, who was sitting on the bank of the +custard lake, was nearly frightened into fits by this sight; and he ran to tell the King that a new +meteor had fallen and ruined one of his floating islands.<br><br>Thereupon the monarch and several of +his courtiers rushed out and found Prince Zingle swimming ashore; and the King was so delighted at +seeing his lost son again that he clasped him joyfully in his arms.<br><br>The next moment he +regretted this act, for his best ermine robe was smeared its whole length with custard, and would need +considerable cleaning before it would be fit to wear again.<br><br>The Prince and the King soon +changed their clothes, and then there was much rejoicing throughout the land. Of course the first +thing Zingle asked for was something to eat, and before long he was sitting at a table heaped with all +sorts of good things, plucked fresh from the trees.<br><br>The people crowded around him, demanding +the tale of his adventures, and their surprise was only equaled by their horror when they learned he +had been captured by a band of monkeys, and shut up in a cage because he was thought to be a dangerous +wild beast.<br><br>Experience is said to be an excellent teacher, although a very cruel one. Prince +Zingle had now seen enough of foreign countries to remain contented with his own beautiful Valley, +and, although it was many years before he again attempted to fly a kite, it was noticed that, when he +at last did indulge in that sport, the kite was of a very small size.</p><br><br><br><br> + +<p align="center" class="b1"><a name="chapter13"><i>The Thirteenth Surprise</i></a><br>THE<br>STOLEN +PLUM PUDDING</p><br><p align="center"><img src="images/fatewm.jpg" alt="The fate of the Wise +Men"></p><br><br><p><b><span class="b3">T</span>HE</b> King's plum-pudding crop had for some time +suffered from the devastations of a secret enemy. Each day, as he examined the vines, he found more +and more of the plum-pudding missing, and finally the monarch called his Wise Men together and asked +them what he should do.<br><br>The Wise Men immediately shut their eyes and pondered so long over the +problem that they fell fast asleep. While they slept still more of the plum-pudding was stolen. When +they awoke the King was justly incensed, and told the Wise Men that unless they discovered the thief +within three days he would give them no cake with their ice-cream.<br><br>This terrible threat at last +aroused them to action, and, after consulting together, they declared that in their opinion it was the +Fox that had stolen the pudding.<br><br>Hearing this, the King ordered out his soldiers, who soon +captured the Fox and brought him to the palace, where the King sat in state, surrounded by his Wise +Men.<br><br>"So ho! Master Fox," exclaimed the King, "we have caught you at last."<br><br>"So it +seems," returned the Fox, calmly. "May I ask your Majesty why I am thus torn from my home, from my +wife and children, and brought before you like any common criminal?"<br><br>"You have stolen the plum- +pudding," answered the King.<br><br>"I beg your Majesty's pardon for contradicting you, but I have +stolen nothing," declared the Fox. "I can easily prove my innocence. When was the plum-pudding +taken?"<br><br>"A great deal of it was taken this morning, while the Wise Men slept," said the +King.<br><br>"Then I can not be the thief," replied the Fox, "as you will admit when you have heard my +story."<br><br>"Ah! Have you a story to tell?" inquired the King, who dearly loved to hear +stories.<br><br>"It is a short story, your Majesty; but it will prove clearly that I have not taken +your pudding."<br><br>"Then tell it," commanded the King. "It is far from my wish to condemn any one +who is innocent."<br><br>The Wise Men then placed themselves in comfortable positions, and the King +crossed his legs and put his hands in his pockets, while the Fox sat before them on his haunches and +spoke as follows:</p><p align="center"><img src="images/fox.jpg" alt="The Fox"><br>THE FOX'S +STORY.</p><p>"It has been unusually damp in my den of late, so that both my family and myself have +suffered much. First my wife became ill, and then I was afflicted with a bad cold, and in both cases +it settled in our throats. Then my four children, who are all of an age, began to complain of sore +throats, so that my den became a regular hospital.<br><br><img src="images/condoc.jpg" align="left" +alt="The fox's wife asks him to consult Dr. Prariedog">"We tried all the medicines we knew of, but +they did no good at all. My wife finally begged me to go to consult Doctor Prairiedog, who lives in a +hole in the ground away toward the south. So one morning I said good by to my family and ran swiftly +to where the doctor lives.<br><br>"Finding no one outside the hole to whom I might apply for admission +I walked boldly in, and having followed a long, dark tunnel for some distance, I suddenly came to a +door.<br><br>"'Come in!' said a voice; so in I walked, and found myself in a very beautiful room, +lighted by forty-eight fireflies, which sat in a row on a rail running all around the apartment. In +the center of the room was a table, made of clay and painted in bright colors; and seated at this +table, with his spectacles on his nose, was the famous Doctor Prairiedog, engaged in eating a dish of +stewed snails.<br><br>"'Good morning,' said the Doctor; 'will you have some breakfast?'<br><br>"'No, +thank you,' I replied, for the snails were not to my liking; 'I wish to procure some medicine for my +children, who are suffering from sore throats.'<br><br>"' How do you know their throats are sore?' +inquired the Doctor.<br><br>"'It hurts them to swallow,' I explained.<br><br>"'Then tell them not to +swallow,' said the Doctor, and went on eating.<br><br>"'Sir!' I exclaimed, 'if they did not swallow, +they would starve to death.'<br><br>"'That is true,' remarked the Doctor; 'we must think of something +else.' After a moment of silence he cried out: 'Ha! I have it! Go home and cut off their necks, after +which you must turn them inside out and hang them on the bushes in the sun. When the necks are +thoroughly cured in the sun, turn them right-side-out again and place them on your children's +shoulders. Then they will find it does not hurt them to swallow.'<br><br>"I thanked the great Doctor +and returned home, where I did as he had told me. For the last three days the necks of not only my +children but of my wife and myself, as well, have been hanging on the bushes to be cured; so we could +not possibly have eaten your plum-pudding. Indeed, it was only an hour ago when I finished putting the +neck on the last of my children, and at that moment your soldiers came and arrested me."<br><br>When +the Fox ceased speaking the King was silent for a while. Then he asked:<br><br>"Were the necks all +cured?"<br><br>"Oh, yes," replied the fox; "the sun cured them nicely."<br><br>"You see," remarked the +King, turning to his Wise Men; "the Fox has proved his innocence. You were wrong, as usual, in +accusing him. I shall now send him home with six baskets of cherry phosphate, as a reward for his +honesty. If you have not discovered the thief by the time I return I shall keep my threat and stop +your allowance of cake."</p><p align="center"><img src="images/innfox.jpg" alt=""You see,", +remarked the King, "the Fox has proved his innocence""></p><p>Then the Wise Men fell a- +trembling, and put their heads together, counseling with one another.<br><br>When the King returned, +they said: "Your Majesty, it must have been the Bullfrog."<br><br>So the King sent his soldiers, who +captured the Bullfrog and brought him to the palace.<br><br>"Why have you stolen the plum-pudding?" +demanded the King, in a stern voice.<br><br>"I! Steal your plum-pudding!" exclaimed the Frog, +indignantly. "Surely you must be mistaken! I am not at all fond of plum-pudding, and, besides, I have +been very busy at home during the past week."<br><br>"What have you been doing?" asked the +King.<br><br>"I will tell you, for then you will know I am innocent of this theft."<br><br>So the +Bullfrog squatted on a footstool, and, after blinking solemnly at the King and his Wise Men for a +moment, spoke as follows:</p><p align="center"><img src="images/frog.jpg" alt="The frog"><br>THE +FROG'S STORY.</p><p>"Some time ago my wife and I hatched out twelve little tadpoles. They were the +sweetest children parents ever looked on. Their heads were all very large and round, and their tails +were long and feathery, while their skins were as black and shiny as could be. We were proud of them, +my wife and I, and took great pains to train our children properly, that they might become respectable +frogs, in time, and be a credit to us.<br><br>"We lived in a snug little hole under the bank of the +river, and in front of our dwelling was a large stone on which we could sit and watch the baby +tadpoles grow. Although they loved best to lie in the mud at the bottom of the river, we knew that +exercise is necessary to the proper development of a tadpole; so we decided to teach our youngsters to +swim. We divided them into two lots, my wife training six of the children, while I took charge of the +other six. We drilled them to swim in single file, in column of twos and in line of battle; but I must +acknowledge they were quite stupid, being so young, and, unless we told them when to stop, they would +keep on swimming until they bumped themselves into a bank or a stone.<br><br>"One day, about a week +ago, while teaching our children to swim, we started them all going in single file, one after the +other. They swam in a straight line that was very pretty to see, and my wife and I sat on the flat +stone and watched them with much pride. Unfortunately at that very moment a large fish swam into our +neighborhood and lay on the bottom of the river to rest. It was one of those fishes that hold their +great mouths wide open, and I was horrified when I saw the advancing line of tadpoles headed directly +toward the gaping mouth of the monster fish. I croaked as loudly as I could for them to stop; but +either they failed to hear me, or they would not obey. The next moment all the line of swimming +tadpoles had entered the fish's mouth and were lost to our view.<br><br><img src="images/threw.jpg" +align="right" alt="Mrs. Frog throws herself into Mr. Frog's arms">"Mrs. Frog threw herself into my +arms with a cry or anguish, exclaiming:<br><br>"'Oh, what shall we do? Our children are lost to us +forever!'<br><br>"'Do not despair,' I answered, although I was myself greatly frightened; 'we must try +to prevent the fish from swimming away with our loved ones. If we can keep him here, some way may yet +be found to rescue the children.'<br><br>"Up to this time the big fish had remained motionless, but +there was an expression of surprise in its round eyes, as if it did not know what to make of the +lively inhabitants of its stomach.<br><br>"Mrs. Frog thought for a moment, and then said:<br><br>"'A +short distance away is an old fish-line and hook, lying at the bottom of the river, where some boys +lost it while fishing one day. If we could only—'<br><br>"'Fetch it at once,' I interrupted. +'With its aid we shall endeavor to capture the fish.'<br><br>"She hastened away, soon returning with +the line, which had a large hook on one end. I tied the other end firmly about the flat stone, and +then, advancing cautiously from behind, that the fish might not see me, I stuck the iron hook through +its right gill.<br><br>"The monster gave a sudden flop that sent me head over heels a yard away. Then +it tried to swim down the stream. But the hook and line held fast, and soon the fish realized it was +firmly caught, after which it wisely abandoned the struggle.<br><br>"Mrs. Frog and I now sat down to +watch the result, and the time of waiting was long and tedious. After several weary days, however, the +great fish lay over on its side and expired, and soon after there hopped from its mouth the sweetest +little green frog you ever laid eyes on. Another and another followed, until twelve of them stood +beside us; and then my wife exclaimed:<br><br>"'They are our children, the tadpoles! They have lost +their tails and their legs have grown out, but they are our own little ones, +nevertheless!'<br><br>"Indeed, this was true; for tadpoles always become frogs when a few days old. +The children told us they had been quite comfortable inside the great fish, but they were now hungry, +for young frogs always have wonderful appetites. So Mrs. Frog and I set to work to feed them, and had +just finished this pleasant task when your soldiers came to arrest me. I assure your Majesty this is +the first time I have been out of the water for a week. And now, if you will permit me to depart, I +will hop back home and see how the youngsters are growing."<br><br>When the Bullfrog had ceased +speaking the King turned toward the Wise Men and said, angrily:<br><br>"It seems you are wrong again, +for the Frog is innocent. Your boasted wisdom appears to me very like folly; but I will give you one +more chance. If you fail to discover the culprit next time, I shall punish you far more severely than +I at first promised."<br><br>The King now gave the Bullfrog a present of a red silk necktie, and also +sent a bottle of perfumery to Mrs. Frog. The soldiers at once released the prisoner, who joyfully +hopped away toward the river.<br><br>The Wise Men now rolled their eyes toward the ceiling and twirled +their thumbs and thought as hard as they could. At last they told the King they had decided the Yellow +Hen was undoubtedly responsible for the theft of the plum-pudding.<br><br>So the King sent his +soldiers, who searched throughout the Valley and at last captured the Yellow Hen and brought her into +the royal presence.<br><br>"My Wise Men say you have stolen my plum-pudding," said his Majesty. "If +this is true, I am going to punish you severely."<br><br>"But it is not true," answered the Yellow +Hen; "for I have just returned from a long journey."<br><br>"Where have you been?" inquired the +King.<br><br>"I will tell you," she replied; and, after rearranging a few of her feathers that the +rough hands of the soldiers had mussed, the Yellow Hen spoke as follows:</p><p align="center"><img +src="images/hen.jpg" alt="The hen"><br>THE YELLOW HEN'S STORY</p><p>"All my life I have been +accustomed to hatching out thirteen eggs; but the last time there were only twelve eggs in the nest +when I got ready to set. Being experienced in these matters I knew it would never do to set on twelve +eggs, so I asked the Red Rooster for his advice.<br><br><img src="images/askroo.jpg" align="left" +alt="Asking the red rooster for advice">"He considered the question carefully, and finally told me he +had seen a very nice, large egg lying on the rocks near the sugar mountain.<br><br>"'If you wish,' +said he, 'I will get it for you.'<br><br>"'I am very sorry to trouble you, yet certainly I need +thirteen eggs,' I answered.<br><br>"The Red Rooster is an accommodating fowl, so away he flew, and +shortly returned with a large white egg under his wing. This egg I put with the other twelve, and then +I set faithfully on my nest for three weeks, at the end of which time I hatched out my +chickens.<br><br><img src="images/hawk.jpg" align="right" alt="One of the children looked like a +hawk">"Twelve of them were as yellow and fluffy as any mother could wish. But the one that came from +the strange egg was black and awkward, and had a large bill and sharp claws. Still thinking he was one +of my children, despite his deformity, I gave him as much care as any of them, and soon he outgrew the +others and became very big and strong.<br><br>"The Red Rooster shook his head, and said, +bluntly:<br><br>"'That chick will be a great trouble to you, for it looks to me strangely like one of +our enemies, the Hawks.'<br><br>"'What!' I exclaimed, reproachfully, 'do you think one of my darling +children could possibly be a Hawk? I consider that remark almost an insult, Mr. Rooster!'<br><br>"The +Red Rooster said nothing more; but he kept away from my big, black chick, as if really afraid of +it.<br><br>"To my great grief this chick suddenly developed a very bad temper, and one day I was +obliged to reprove it for grabbing the food away from its brothers. Suddenly it began screaming with +anger, and the next moment it sprang on me, digging its sharp claws into my back.<br><br>"While I +struggled to free myself, he flew far up into the air, carrying me with him, and uttering loud cries +that filled me with misgivings. For I now realized, when it was too late, that his voice sounded +exactly like the cry of a Hawk!<br><br>"Away and away he flew, over mountains, and valleys, and +rivers, and lakes, until at last, as I looked down, I saw a man pointing a gun at us. A moment later +he shot, and the black chick gave a scream of pain, at the same time releasing his hold of me; so that +I fell over and over and finally fluttered to the ground.<br><br>"Then I found I had escaped one +danger only to encounter another, for as I reached the ground the man seized me and carried me under +his arm to his home. Entering the house, he said to his wife:<br><br>"'Here is a nice, fat hen for our +breakfast.'<br><br>"'Put her in the coop,' replied the woman. 'After supper I will cut off her head +and pick the feathers from her body.'<br><br>"This frightened me greatly, as you may suppose, and when +the man placed me in the coop I nearly gave way to despair. But, finding myself alone, I plucked up +courage and began looking for a way to escape. To my great joy I soon discovered that one of the slats +of the coop was loose, and, having pushed it aside, I was not long in gaining my liberty.<br><br>"Once +free, I ran away from the place as fast as possible, but did not know in which direction to go, the +country being so strange to me. So I fluttered on, half running and half flying, until I reached the +place where an army of soldiers was encamped. If these men saw me I feared they would also wish to eat +me for breakfast; so I crept into the mouth of a big cannon, thinking I should escape attention and be +safe until morning. Soon I fell asleep, and so sound was my slumber that the next thing I heard was +the conversation of some soldiers who stood beside the cannon.<br><br>"'It is nearly sunrise,' said +one. 'You must fire the salute. Is the cannon loaded?'<br><br>"'Oh, yes,' answered the other. 'What +shall I shoot at?'<br><br>"' Fire into the air, for then you will not hurt any one,' said the first +soldier.<br><br>"By this time I was trembling with fear, and had decided to creep out of the cannon +and take the chances of being caught, when, suddenly, 'Bang!' went the big gun, and I shot into the +air with a rush like that of a whirlwind.<br><br>"The noise nearly deafened me, and my nerves were so +shattered that for a time I was helpless. I felt myself go up and up into the air, until soon I was +far above the clouds. Then I recovered my wits, and when I began to come down again I tried to fly. I +knew the Valley of Mo must be somewhere to the west; so I flew in that direction until I found myself +just over the Valley, when I allowed myself to flutter to the ground.<br><br>"It seems my troubles +were not yet over; for, before I had fully recovered my breath after this long flight, your soldiers +seized me and brought me here.<br><br>"I am accused of stealing your plum-pudding; but, in truth, your +Majesty, I have been away from your kingdom for nine days, and am therefore wholly +innocent."<br><br>The Yellow Hen had scarce finished this story when the King flew into a violent rage +at the deceptions of his Wise Men, and turning to his soldiers he ordered them to arrest the Wise Men +and cast them into prison.<br><br>Having given the unfortunate Hen a pair of gold earrings that fitted +her ears and matched her complexion, the King sent her home with many apologies for having accused her +wrongfully.<br><br>Then his Majesty seated himself in an easy chair, and pondered how best to punish +the foolish Wise Men.<br><br>"I would rather have one really Wise Man," he said to himself, "than +fifty of these, who pretend to be wise and are not."<br><br>That gave him an idea; so the next morning +he ordered the Wise Men taken to the royal kitchen, where all were run through the meat chopper until +they were ground as fine as mincemeat. Having thoroughly mixed them, the King stirred in a handful of +salt, and then made them into one man, which the cook baked in the oven until it was well +done.<br><br>"Now," said the King, "I have one Wise Man instead of several foolish ones. Perhaps he +can tell me who stole the plum-pudding."<br><br>"Certainly," replied the Wise Man. "That is quite +easy. It was the Purple Dragon."<br><br>"Good," cried the monarch; "I have discovered the truth at +last!"<br><br>And so he had, as you will find by reading the next surprise.</p><p align="center"><img +src="images/wisemn.jpg" alt="The Wise Man"><br><br><br><br> + +<p align="center" class="b1"><a name="chapter14"><i>The Fourteenth Surprise</i></a><br>THE PUNISHMENT +OF THE<br>PURPLE DRAGON</p><p align="right"><img src="images/pdrag4.jpg" alt="The Purple +Dragon"></p><p align="center"><img src="images/endpd.jpg" alt="The end of the Purple +Dragon"></p><br><br><p><b><span class="b3">S</span>CARCELY</b> had the King spoken when some of his +soldiers came running with news that they had seen the Purple Dragon eating plum-pudding in the royal +garden.<br><br>"What did you do about it?" asked the monarch.<br><br>"We did nothing," they answered; +"for, had we interfered with its repast, the Dragon would probably have eaten us for +dessert."<br><br>"That is true," remarked the King. "Yet something must be done to protect us from +this monster. For many years it has annoyed us by eating our choicest crops, and nothing we can do +seems of any avail to save us from its ravages."<br><br>"If we were able to destroy the Dragon," said +Prince Thinkabit, "we should be doing our country the greatest possible service."<br><br>"We have +often tried to destroy it," replied the King, "but the beast always manages to get the best of the +fight, having wonderful strength and great cunning. However, let us hold a council of war, and see +what is suggested."<br><br>So a council of war was called. The Wise Man, all the Princes and Noblemen, +the Dog and the Wise Donkey being assembled to talk the matter over.</p><p align="center"><img +src="images/cofwar.jpg" alt=""So a council of war was called.""></p><p>"I advise that you +build a high wall around the Dragon," said the Wise Man. "Then it will be unable to get out, and will +starve to death."<br><br>"It is strong enough to break down the wall," said the King.<br><br>"I +suggest you dig a great hole in the ground," remarked the Donkey. "Then the Dragon will fall into it +and perish."<br><br>"It is too clever to fall into the hole," said the King.<br><br>"The best thing to +do," declared Timtom, "is to cut off its legs; for then it could not walk into our +gardens."<br><br>"The scales on its legs are too hard and thick," said the King. "We have tried that, +and failed."<br><br>"We might take a red-hot iron, and put the Dragon's eyes out," ventured Prince +Jollikin.<br><br>"Its eyes are glass," replied the King with a sigh, "and the iron would have no +effect on them."<br><br>"Suppose we tie a tin can to its tail," suggested the Dog. "The rattling of +the can would so frighten the Dragon that it would run out of the country."<br><br>"Its tail is so +long," answered the King, gloomily, "that the Dragon could not hear the can rattle."<br><br>Then they +all remained silent for a time, thinking so hard that their heads began to ache; but no one seemed +able to think of the right thing to do.<br><br>Finally the King himself made a +proposition.<br><br>"One thing we might attempt with some hope of success," said his Majesty. "Should +it fail, we can not be worse off than we are at present. My idea is for us to go in a great body to +the castle of the Dragon, and pull out its teeth with a pair of forceps. Having no teeth, the monster +will be harmless to annoy us in any way; and, since we seem unable to kill it, I believe this is the +best way out of our difficulty."<br><br>The King's plan pleased every one, and met with shouts of +approval. The council then adjourned, and all the members went to prepare for the fight with the +Purple Dragon.<br><br>First the blacksmith made a large pair of forceps, to pull the Dragon's teeth +with. The handles of the forceps were so long that fifty men could take hold of them at one time. Then +the people armed themselves with swords and spears and marched in a great body to the castle of the +Purple Dragon.</p><p align="center"><img src="images/lfore.jpg" alt="The large forceps"><br><br><img +src="images/kvdrag.jpg" alt=""The King visits the Purple Dragon.""></p><p>This remarkable +beast, which for so long had kept the Valley of Mo in constant terror, was standing on the front porch +of its castle when the army arrived. It looked at the crowd of people in surprise, and +said:<br><br>"Are you not weary with your attempts to destroy me? What selfish people you must be! +Whenever I eat anything that belongs to you, there is a great row, and immediately you come here to +fight me. These battles are unpleasant to all of us. The best thing for you to do is to return home +and behave yourselves; for I am not in the least afraid of you."<br><br>Neither the King nor his +people replied to these taunts. They simply brought forward the big pair of forceps and reached them +toward the Dragon.<br><br>This movement astonished the monster, who, never having been to a dentist in +his life, had no idea what the strange instrument was for.<br><br>"Surely you can not think to hurt me +with that iron thing," it called out, in derision. And then the Dragon laughed at the idea of any one +attempting to injure it.<br><br>But when the Dragon opened its mouth to laugh, the King opened the +jaws of the forceps, quickly closing them again on one of the monster's front teeth.<br><br>"Pull!" +cried the King; and fifty men seized the handles of the forceps and began to pull with all their +strength.<br><br>But, pull as they might, the tooth would not come out, and this was the reason: The +teeth of Dragons are different from ours, for they go through the jaw and are clinched on the other +side. Therefore, no amount of pulling will draw them out.<br><br>The King did not know this fact, but +thought the tooth must have a long root; so he called again:<br><br>"Pull! my brave men; +pull!"<br><br>And they pulled so hard that the Dragon was nearly pulled from the porch of its castle. +To avoid this danger the cunning beast wound the end of its tail around a post of the porch, and tied +a hard knot in it.<br><br>"Pull!" shouted the King for the third time.<br><br>Then a surprising thing +happened. Any one who knows anything at all about Dragons is aware that these beasts stretch as easily +as if made of india-rubber. Therefore the strong pulling of the fifty men resulted in the Dragon being +pulled from its foothold, and, as its tail was fastened to the post, its body began to stretch +out.<br><br>The King and his people, thinking the tooth was being pulled, started down the hill, the +forceps still clinging fast to the monster's big front tooth. And the farther they went the more +Dragon's body stretched out.<br><br><img src="images/kgo.jpg" align="left" alt="The King cries +"Keep going!"">"Keep going!" cried the King; "we mustn't let go now!" And away marched the +fifty men, and farther and farther stretched the body of the Dragon.<br><br>Still holding fast to the +forceps, the King and his army marched into the Valley, and away across it, and up the hills on the +other side, not even stopping to take breath. When they came to the mountains and the forests, and +could go no farther, they looked back; and behold! the Dragon had stretched out so far that it was now +no bigger around than a fiddle-string!<br><br>"What shall we do now?" asked the fifty men, who were +perspiring with the long pull and the march across the Valley.<br><br>"I'm sure I don't know," replied +the panting King. "Let us tie this end of the beast around a tree. Then we can think what is best to +be done."<br><br>So they tied that end of the Dragon to a big tree, and sat down to rest, being filled +with wonder that the mighty Purple Dragon was now no larger around than a piece of twine.<br><br>"The +wicked creature will never bother us again," said the King. "Yet it was only by accident we found a +way to destroy it. The question now is, what shall we do with this long, thin Dragon? If we leave it +here it will trip any one who stumbles against it."<br><br>"I shall use it for fiddle-strings," said +Prince Fiddlecumdoo, "for the crop failed this year, and I have none for my violin. Let us cut the +Dragon up into the proper sizes, and store the strings in the royal warehouse for general +use."<br><br>The King and the people heartily approved this plan. So the Prince brought a pair of +shears and cut the Dragon into equal lengths to use on his violin. Thus the wicked monster was made +good use of at last, for the strings had an excellent tone.<br><br>And that was not only the end of +the Purple Dragon, but there were two other ends of him; one tied to a tree in the mountains and the +other fastened to a post of the castle.<br><br>That same day the Monarch of Mo gave a magnificent +feast to all his people to celebrate the destruction of their greatest foe; and ever afterward the +gardens of the Beautiful Valley were free from molestation.</p><p align="center"><img +src="images/theend.jpg" alt="The End"></p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<hr noshade> +<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SURPRISING ADVENTURES OF THE MAGICAL MONARCH OF MO AND HIS PEOPLE***</p> +<p>******* This file should be named 16259-h.txt or 16259-h.zip *******</p> +<p>This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:<br /> +<a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/6/2/5/16259">https://www.gutenberg.org/1/6/2/5/16259</a></p> +<p>Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed.</p> + +<p>Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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Adventures of the Magical +Monarch of Mo and His People, by L. Frank Baum, Illustrated by Frank Ver +Beck + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: The Surprising Adventures of the Magical Monarch of Mo and His People + + +Author: L. Frank Baum + + + +Release Date: July 10, 2005 [eBook #16259] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SURPRISING ADVENTURES OF THE +MAGICAL MONARCH OF MO AND HIS PEOPLE*** + + +E-text prepared by Michael Gray (Lost_Gamer@comcast.net) + + + +Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this + file which includes the original illustrations. + See 16259-h.htm or 16259-h.zip: + (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/6/2/5/16259/16259-h/16259-h.htm) + or + (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/6/2/5/16259/16259-h.zip) + + + + + +THE SURPRISING ADVENTURES OF THE MAGICAL MONARCH OF MO AND HIS PEOPLE + +by + +L. FRANK BAUM + +With pictures by Frank Ver Beck + +1903 + + + + + + + +To the Comrade of my +boyhood days +Dr. Henry Clay Baum + + + +TO THE READER + +This book has been written for children. I have no shame in +acknowledging that I, who wrote it, am also a child; for since I can +remember my eyes have always grown big at tales of the marvelous, and +my heart is still accustomed to go pit-a-pat when I read of impossible +adventures. It is the nature of children to scorn realities, which +crowd into their lives all too quickly with advancing years. Childhood +is the time for fables, for dreams, for joy. + +These stories are not true; they could no be true and be so marvelous. +No one is expected to believe them; they were meant to excite laughter +and to gladden the heart. + +Perhaps some of those big, grown-up people will poke fun of us--at you +for reading these nonsense tales of the Magical Monarch, and at me for +writing them. Never mind. Many of the big folk are still children--even +as you and I. We cannot measure a child by a standard of size or age. +The big folk who are children will be our comrades; the others we need +not consider at all, for they are self-exiled from our domain. + + L. FRANK BAUM. + +June, 1903. + + + +CONTENTS + + +THE FIRST SURPRISE +The Beautiful Valley of Mo + +THE SECOND SURPRISE +The Strange Adventures of the King's Head + +THE THIRD SURPRISE +The Tramp Dog and the Monarch's Lost Temper + +THE FOURTH SURPRISE +The Peculiar Pains of Fruit Cake Island + +THE FIFTH SURPRISE +The Monarch Celebrates His Birthday + +THE SIXTH SURPRISE +King Scowleyow and His Cast-Iron Man + +THE SEVENTH SURPRISE +Timtom and the Princess Pattycake + +THE EIGHTH SURPRISE +The Bravery of Prince Jollikin + +THE NINTH SURPRISE +The Wizard and the Princess + +THE TENTH SURPRISE +The Duchess Bredenbutta's Visit to Turvyland + +THE ELEVENTH SURPRISE +Prince Fiddlecumdoo and the Giant + +THE TWELFTH SURPRISE +The Land of the Civilized Monkeys + +THE THIRTEENTH SURPRISE +The Stolen Plum-Pudding + +THE FOURTEENTH SURPRISE +The Punishment of the Purple Dragon + + + + +_The First Surprise_ + +THE BEAUTIFUL VALLEY OF MO + + +I dare say there are several questions you would like to ask at the +very beginning of this history. First: Who is the Monarch of Mo? And +why is he called the Magical Monarch? And where _is_ Mo, anyhow? And +why have you never heard of it before? And can it be reached by a +railroad or a trolley-car, or must one walk all the way? + +These questions I realize should be answered before we (that "we" means +you and the book) can settle down for a comfortable reading of all the +wonders and astonishing adventures I shall endeavor faithfully to +relate. + +In the first place, the Monarch of Mo is a very pleasant personage +holding the rank of King. He is not very tall, nor is he very short; he +is midway between fat and lean; he is delightfully jolly when he is not +sad, and seldom sad if he can possibly be jolly. How old he may be I +have never dared to inquire; but when we realize that he is destined to +live as long as the Valley of Mo exists we may reasonably suppose the +Monarch of Mo is exactly as old as his native land. And no one in Mo +has ever reckoned up the years to see how many they have been. So we +will just say that the Monarch of Mo and the Valley of Mo are each a +part of the other, and can not be separated. + +He is not called the Magical Monarch because he deals in magic--for he +doesn't deal in magic. But he leads such a queer life in such a queer +country that his history will surely seem magical to us who inhabit the +civilized places of the world and think that anything we can not find a +reason for must be due to magic. The life of the Monarch of Mo seems +simple enough to him, you may be sure, for he knows no other existence. +And our ways of living, could he know of them, would doubtless astonish +him greatly. + +The land of Mo, which is ruled by the King we call the Magical Monarch, +is often spoken of as the "Beautiful Valley." If they would only put it +on the maps of our geographies and paint it pink or light green, and +print a big round dot where the King's castle stands, it would be easy +enough to point out to you its exact location. But I can not find the +Valley of Mo in any geography I have examined; so I suspect the men who +made these instructive books really know nothing about Mo, else it +would surely be on the maps. + +Of one thing I am certain: that no other country included in the maps +is so altogether delightful as the Beautiful Valley of Mo. + +The sun shines all the time, and its rays are perfumed. The people who +live in the Valley do not sleep, because there is no night. Everything +they can possibly need grows on the trees, so they have no use for +money at all, and that saves them a deal of worry. + +There are no poor people in this quaint Valley. When a person desires a +new hat he waits till one is ripe, and then picks it and wears it +without asking anybody's permission. If a lady wishes a new ring, she +examines carefully those upon the ring-tree, and when she finds one +that fits her finger she picks it and wears it upon her hand. In this +way they procure all they desire. + +There are two rivers in the Land of Mo, one of which flows milk of a +very rich quality. Some of the islands in Milk River are made of +excellent cheese, and the people are welcome to spade up this cheese +whenever they wish to eat it. In the little pools near the bank, where +the current does not flow swiftly, delicious cream rises to the top of +the milk, and instead of water-lilies great strawberry leaves grow upon +the surface, and the ripe, red berries lie dipping their noses into the +cream, as if inviting you to come and eat them. The sand that forms the +river bank is pure white sugar, and all kinds of candies and bonbons +grow thick on the low bushes, so that any one may pluck them easily. + +These are only a few of the remarkable things that exist in the +Beautiful Valley. + +The people are merry, light-hearted folk, who live in beautiful houses +of pure crystal, where they can rest themselves and play their games +and go in when it rains. For it rains in Mo as it does everywhere else, +only it rains lemonade; and the lightning in the sky resembles the most +beautiful fireworks; and the thunder is usually a chorus from the opera +of Tannhauser. + +No one ever dies in this Valley, and the people are always young and +beautiful. There is the King and a Queen, besides several princes and +princesses. But it is not much use being a prince in Mo, because the +King can not die; therefore a prince is a prince to the end of his +days, and his days never end. + +Strange things occur in this strange land, as you may imagine; and +while I relate some of these you will learn more of the peculiar +features of the Beautiful Valley. + + + +_The Second Surprise_ + +THE STRANGE ADVENTURES OF THE KING'S HEAD + + +A good many years ago, the Magical Monarch of Mo became annoyed by the +Purple Dragon, which came down from the mountains and ate up a patch of +his best chocolate caramels just as they were getting ripe. + +So the King went out to the sword-tree and picked a long, sharp sword, +and tied it to his belt and went away to the mountains to fight the +Purple Dragon. + +The people all applauded him, saying one to another: + +"Our King is a good King. He will destroy this naughty Purple Dragon +and we shall be able to eat the caramels ourselves." + +But the Dragon was not alone naughty; it was big, and fierce, and +strong, and did not want to be destroyed at all. + +Therefore the King had a terrible fight with the Purple Dragon and cut +it with his sword in several places, so that the raspberry juice which +ran in its veins squirted all over the ground. + +It is always difficult to kill Dragons. They are by nature +thick-skinned and tough, as doubtless every one has heard. Besides, you +must not forget that this was a Purple Dragon, and all scientists who +have studied deeply the character of Dragons say those of a purple +color at the most disagreeable to fight with. So all the King's cutting +and slashing had no effect upon the monster other than to make him +angry. Forgetful of the respect due to a crowned King, the wicked +Dragon presently opening wide its jaws and bit his Majesty's head clean +off his body. Then he swallowed it. + +Of course the King realized it was useless to continue to fight after +that, for he could not see where the Dragon was. So he turned and tried +to find his way back to his people. But at every other step he would +bump into a tree, which made the naughty Dragon laugh at him. +Furthermore, he could not tell in which direction he was going, which +is an unpleasant feeling under any circumstances. + +At last some of the people came to see if the King had succeeded in +destroying the Dragon, and found their monarch running around in a +circle, bumping into trees and rocks, but not getting a step nearer +home. SO they took his hand and led him back to the palace, where every +one was filled with sorrow at the sad sight of the headless King. +Indeed, his devoted subjects, for the first time in their lives, came +as near to weeping as an inhabitant of the Valley of Mo can. + +"Never mind," said the King, cheerfully; "I can get along very well +without a head; and, as a matter of fact, the loss has its advantages. +I shall not be obliged to brush my hair, or clean my teeth, or wash my +ears. So do not grieve, I beg of you, but be happy and joyful as you +were before." Which showed the King had a good heart; and, after all, a +good heart is better than a head, any say. + +The people, hearing him speak out of his neck (for he had no mouth), +immediately began to laugh, which in a short time led to their being as +happy as ever. + +But the Queen was not contented. + +"My love," she said to him, "I can not kiss you any more, and that will +break my heart." + +Thereupon the King sent word throughout the Valley that any one who +could procure for him a new head should wed one of the princesses. + +The princesses were all exceedingly pretty girls, and so it was not +long before one man made a very nice head out of candy and brought it +to the King. It did not look exactly like the old head, but the efface +was very sweet, nevertheless; so the King put it on and the Queen +kissed it at once with much satisfaction. + +The young man had put a pair of glass eyes in the head, with which the +King could see very well after he got used to them. + +According to the royal promise, the young man was now called into the +palace and asked to take his pick of the princesses. There were all so +sweet and lady-like that he had some trouble in making a choice; but at +last he took the biggest, thinking that he would thus secure the +greatest reward, and they were married amid great rejoicing. + +But, a few days afterward, the King was caught out in a rainstorm, and +before he could get home his new head had melted in the great shower of +lemonade that fell. Only the glass eyes were left, and these he put in +his pocket and went sorrowfully to tell the Queen of his new +misfortune. + +Then another young man who wanted to marry a princess made the King a +head out of dough, sticking in it the glass eyes; and the King tried it +on and found that it fitted very well. So the young man was given the +next biggest princess. + +But the following day the sun chance to shine extremely hot, and when +the King walked out it baked his dough head into bread, at which the +monarch felt very light-headed. And when the birds saw the bread they +flew down from the trees, perched upon the King's shoulder and quickly +ate up his new head. All but the glass eyes. + +Again the good King was forced to go home to the Queen without a head, +and the lady firmly declared that this time her husband must have a +head warranted to last at least as long as the honeymoon of the young +man who made it; which was not at all unreasonable under the +circumstances. + +So a request was sent to all loyal subjects throughout the Valley +asking them to find a head for their King that was neat and +substantial. + +In the meantime the King had a rather hard time of it. When he wished +to go any place he was obliged to hold out in front of him, between his +thumbs and fingers, the glass eyes, that they might guide his +footsteps. This, as you may imagine, made his Majesty look rather +undignified, and dignity is very important to every royal personage. + +At last a wood-chopper in the mountains made a head out of wood and +sent it to the King. It was neatly carved, besides being solid and +durable; moreover, it fitted the monarch's neck to the T. So the King +rummaged in his pocket and found the glass eyes, and when these were +put in the new head the King announced his satisfaction. + +There was only one drawback--he couldn't smile, as the wooden face was +too stiff; and it was funny to hear his Majesty laughing heartily while +his face maintained a solemn expression. But the glass eyes twinkled +merrily and every one knew that he was the same kind-hearted monarch of +old, although he had become, of necessity, rather hard-headed. + +Then the King sent word to the wood-chopper to come to the palace and +take his pick of the princesses, and preparations were at once begun +for the wedding. + +But the wood-chopper, on his way to the court, unfortunately passed by +the dwelling of the Purple Dragon and stopped to speak to the monster. + +Now it seems that when the Dragon had swallowed the King's head, the +unusual meal made the beast ill. It was more accustomed to berries and +caramels for dinner than to heads, and the sharp points of the King's +crown (which was firmly fastened to the head) pricked the Dragon's +stomach and made the creature miserable. After a few days of suffering +the Dragon disgorged the head, and, not knowing what else to do with +it, locked it up in a cupboard and put the key in its pocket. + +When the Dragon met the wood-chopper and learned he had made a new head +for the King, and as a reward was to wed one of the princesses, the +monster became very angry. It resolved to do a wicked thing; which will +not surprise you when you remember the beast's purple color. + +"Step into my parlor and rest yourself," said the Dragon, politely. +Wicked people are most polite when they mean mischief. + +"Thank you, I'll stop for a few minutes," replied the wood-chopper; +"but I can not stay long, as I am expected at court." + +When he had entered the parlor the Dragon suddenly opened its mouth and +snapped off the poor wood-chopper's head. Being warned by experience, +however, it did not swallow the head, but placed it in the cupboard. +Then the Dragon took from a shelf the King's head and glued it on the +wood-chopper's neck. + +"Now," said the beast, with a cruel laugh, "you are the King! Go home +and claim your wife and your kingdom." + +The poor wood-chopper was much amazed; for at first he did not really +know which he was, the King or the wood-chopper. + +He looked in the mirror and, seeing the King, made a low bow. Then the +King's head thought: "Who am I bowing to? There is no one greater than +the King!" And so at once there began a conflict between the +wood-chopper's heart and the King's head. + +The Dragon was mightily pleased at the result of its wicked stratagem, +and having pushed the bewildered wood-chopper out of the castle, +immediately sent him on his way to the court. + +When the poor man neared the town the people ran out and said: "Why, +this is the King come back again. All hail, your Majesty!" + +"All nonsense!" returned the wood-chopper. "I am only a poor man with +the King's head on my shoulders. You can easily see it isn't mine, for +it's crooked; the Dragon didn't glue it on straight." + +"Where, then, is your own head?" they asked. + +"Locked up in the Dragon's cupboard," replied the poor fellow, +beginning to weep. + +"Here," cried the King's head; "stop this. You mustn't cry out of my +eyes! The King never weeps." + +"I beg pardon, your Majesty," said the wood-chopper, meekly, "I'll not +do it again." + +"Well, see that you don't," returned the head more cheerfully. + +The people were greatly amazed at this, and took the wood-chopper to +the palace, where all was soon explained. + +When the Queen saw the King's head she immediately kissed it; but the +King rebuked her, saying she must kiss only him. + +"But it is your head," said the poor Queen. + +"Probably it is," replied the King; "but it is on another man. You must +confine yourself to kissing my wooden head." + +"I'm sorry," sighed the Queen, "for I like to kiss the real head best." + +"And so you shall," said the King's head; "I don't approve your kissing +that wooden head at all." + +The poor lady looked from one to the other in perplexity. Finally a +happy thought occurred to her. + +"Why don't you trade heads?" she asked. + +"Just the thing!" cried the King; and, the wood-chopper consenting, the +exchange was made, and the Monarch of Mo found himself in possession of +his own head again, whereat he was so greatly pleased that he laughed +long and merrily. + +The wood-chopper, however, did not even smile. He couldn't because of +the wooden face. The head he had made for the King he now was compelled +to wear himself. + +"Bring hither the princesses," commanded the King. "This good man shall +choose his bride at once, for he has restored to me my own head." + +But when the princesses arrived and saw that the wood-chopper had a +wooden head, they each and all refused to marry him, and begged so hard +to escape that the King was in a quandary. + +"I promised him one of my daughters," he argued, "and a King never +breaks his word." + +"But he hadn't a wooden head then," explained one of the girls. + +The King realized the truth of this. Indeed, when he came to look +carefully at the wooden head, he did not blame his daughters for not +wishing to marry it. Should he force one of them to consent, it was not +unlikely she would call her husband a blockhead--a term almost certain +to cause trouble in any family. + +After giving the matter deep thought, the King resolved to go to the +Purple Dragon and oblige it to give up the wood-chopper's head. + +So all the fighting men in the kingdom were got together, and, having +picked ripe swords off the sword-trees, they marched in a great body to +the Dragon's castle. + +Now the Purple Dragon realized that if it attempted to fight all this +army, it would perhaps be cut to pieces; so it retired within its +castle and refused to come out. + +The wood-chopper was a brave man. + +"I'll go in and fight the Dragon alone," he said; and in he went. By +this time the Dragon was both frightened and angry, and the moment it +saw the man it rushed forward and made a snap at his head. + +The wooden head came off at once, and the Dragon's long, sharp teeth +got stuck in the wood and would not come out again; so the monster was +unable to do anything but flop its tail and groan. + +The wood-chopper now ran to the cupboard, took out his head and placed +it upon his shoulders where it belonged. Then he proudly walked out of +the castle and was greeted with loud shouts by the army, which carried +him back in triumph to the King's palace. + +And, now that he wore his own head again, one of the prettiest of the +young princesses willingly agreed to marry him; so the wedding ceremony +was performed amidst great rejoicing. + + + +_The Third Surprise_ + +THE TRAMP DOG AND THE MONARCH'S LOST TEMPER + + +One day the Monarch of Mo, having nothing better to do, resolved to go +hunting blackberries among the bushes that grew at the foot of the +mountains. + +So he put on an old crown that would not get tarnished if it rained, +and, having found a tin pail in the pantry, started off without telling +any one where he was going. + +For some distance the path was a nice, smooth taffy, that was very +agreeable to walk on; but as he got nearer the mountains the ground +became gravelly, the stones being jackson-balls and gum-drops; so that +his boots, which were a little green when he picked them, began to hurt +his feet. + +But the King was not easily discouraged, and kept on until he found the +blackberry bushes, when he immediately began to fill his pail, the +berries being remarkably big and sweet. + +While thus occupied he heard a sound of footsteps coming down the +mountain side, and presently a little dog ran out from the bushes and +trotted up to him. + +Now there were no dogs at all in Mo, and the King had never seen a +creature like this before; therefore he was greatly surprised, and +said: + +"What are you, and where do you come from?" + +The dog also was surprised at this question, and looked suspiciously at +the King's tin pail; for many times wicked boys had tied such a pail to +the end of his tail. In fact, that was the reason he had run away from +home and found his way, by accident, to the Valley of Mo. + +"My name is Prince," replied the gravely; "and I have come from a +country beyond the mountains and the desert." + +"Indeed! are you in truth a prince?" exclaimed the monarch; "then you +will be welcome in my kingdom, where we always treat nobility with +proper respect. But why do you have four feet?" + +"Because six would be too many," replied the dog. + +"But I have only two," said the King. + +"I am sorry," said the dog, who was something of a wag, "because where +I come from it is more fashionable to walk on four feet." + +"I like to be in the fashion," remarked the King, thoughtfully; "but +what am I to do, having only two legs?" + +"Why, I suppose you could walk on your hands and feet," returned the +dog with a laugh. + +"So I will," said the King, being pleased with the idea; "and you shall +come to the palace with me and teach me all the fashions of the country +from whence you came." + +The King got down on his hands and knees, and was delighted to find he +could get along in this way very nicely. + +"How am I to carry my pail?" he asked. + +"In your mouth, of course," replied the dog. This suggestion seeming a +happy one, the King took the pail in his mouth and they started back +toward the palace. But when his Majesty came to the gum-drops and +jackson-balls they hurt his hands and knees, so that he groaned aloud. +But the dog only laughed. Finally they reached a place where it was +quite muddy. Of course the mud was only jelly, but it hadn't dried up +since the last rain. The dog jumped over the place nimbly enough, but +when the King tried to do likewise he failed, and came down into the +jelly with both hands and knees, and stuck fast. + +Now the monarch had a very good temper, which he carried in his vest +pocket; but as he passed over the gum-drop pebbles on his hands and +knees this temper dropped out of his pocket, and, having lost it, he +became very angry at the dog for getting him into such a scrape. + +So he began to scold, and when he opened his mouth the pail dropped out +and the berries were all spilled. This made the dog laugh more than +ever, at which the King pulled himself out of the jelly, jumped to his +feet, and began to chase the dog as fast as he could. Finally the dog +climbed a tall tree where the King could not reach him, and when safe +among the branches he looked down and said: "See how foolish a man +becomes who tries to be in fashion rather than live as nature intended +he should! You can no more be a dog than I can be a king; so hereafter, +if you are wise, you will be content to walk on two legs." + +"There is much truth in what you say," replied the Monarch of Mo. "Come +with me to the palace, and you shall be forgiven; indeed, we shall have +a fine feast in honor of your arrival." + +So the dog climbed down from the tree and followed the King to the +palace, where all the courtiers were astonished to see so queer an +animal, and made a great favorite of him. + +After dinner the King invited the dog to take a walk around the grounds +of the royal mansion, and they started out merrily enough. But the +King's boots had begun to hurt him again; for, as they did not fit, +being picked green, they had rubbed his toes until he had corns on +them. So when they reached the porch in front of the palace the King +asked: + +"My friend, what is good for corns?" + +"Tight boots," replied the dog, laughing; "but they are not very good +for your feet." + +Now the King, not yet having found his lost temper, became exceedingly +angry at this poor jest; so he rushed at the dog and gave it a +tremendous kick. + +Up into the air like a ball flew the dog, while the King, having hurt +his toe by the kick, sat down on the door-step and nursed his foot +while he watched the dog go farther and farther up, until it seemed +like a tiny speck against the blue of the sky. + +"I must have kicked harder than I thought," said the King, ruefully; +"there he goes, out of sight, and I shall never see him again!" + +He now limped away into the back garden, where he picked a new pair of +boots that would not hurt his feet; and while he was gone the dog began +to fall down again. Of course he fell faster than he went up, and +finally landed with a crash exactly on the King's door-step. But so +great was the force of the fall and so hard the door-step that the poor +dog was flattened out like a pancake, and could not move a bit. + +When the King came back he said: + +"Hullo! some kind friend has brought me a new door-mat as a present," +and he leaned down and stroked the soft hair with much pleasure. Then +he wiped his feet on the new mat and went into the palace to tell the +Queen. + +When her Majesty saw the nice, soft door-mat she declared it was too +good to be left outside; so she brought it into the parlor and put it +on the floor before the fire-place. + +The good King was sorry he had treated the dog so harshly, and for fear +he might do some other dreadful thing he went back to the place where +he had lost his temper and searched until he found it again, when he +put it carefully away in his pocket where it would stay. + +Then he returned to the palace an entered the parlor; but as he passed +the mat, his new boots were so clumsy, he stumbled against the edge and +pushed the mat together into a roll. + +Immediately the dog gave a bark, got upon its legs and said: + +"Well, this is better! Now I can breathe again, but while I was so flat +I could not draw a single breath." + +The monarch and his Queen were much surprised to find that what they +had taken for a mat was only the dog, that had fallen so flat on their +door-step; but they could not forbear laughing at his queer appearance. +For, as the King had kicked the mat on the edge, the dog was more than +six feet long, and no bigger around than a lead-pencil; which brought +its font legs so far from its rear legs that it could scarcely turn +around in the room without getting tangled up. + +"But it is better than being a door-mat," said the dog; and the King +and Queen agreed with him in this. + +Then the King went away to tell the people he had found the dog again, +and when he left the palace he slammed the front door behind him. The +dog had started to follow the King out, so when the front door slammed +it hit the poor animal so sharp a blow on the nose that it pushed his +body together again; and, lo and behold! there was the dog in his +natural shape, just as he was before the King kicked him. + +After this the dog and the King agreed very well; for the King was +careful not to kick, since he had recovered his temper, and the dog +took care not to say anything that would provoke the King to anger. + +And one day the dog saved the Kingdom and all the Valley of Mo from +destruction, as I shall tell you another time. + + + +_The Fourth Surprise_ + +THE PECULIAR PAINS OF FRUITCAKE ISLAND + + +Prince Zingle, who was the eldest of all the princes of the Valley of +Mo, at one time became much irritated because the King, his father, +would not allow him to milk the cow with the golden horns. This cow was +a great favorite with the King, because she gave as large a quantity of +ice-cream at a milking as an ordinary cow does of milk, and in the warm +days this was an agreeable luxury. The King liked to keep the cow with +the golden horns for his own use and that of the Queen; so Prince +Zingle thought he was being abused, having a great fondness for +ice-cream himself. + +To be sure, there was the great fountain of ice-cream soda-water +playing constantly in the courtyard, which was free to every one; but +the Prince longed for what he could not have. + +Therefore, being filled with anger against his father, the King, he +wandered away until he chanced to come near to the castle of the Purple +Dragon. + +When the wicked monster saw the Prince, it decided that here was a +splendid opportunity to make mischief; so it said, politely: + +"Good morning, King Zingle." + +"I am not a king--I am only a prince," replied Zingle. + +"What! not a king?" exclaimed the Dragon, as if surprised; "that is too +bad." + +"I can never be a king while my father lives," continued the Prince, +"and it is impossible for him to die. So what can I do?" + +"Since you ask my advice, I will tell you," answered the naughty +Dragon. "Down near Rootbeer River, where the peanut trees grow, is a +very deep hole in the ground. You must get the King to go and look into +this hole, and while he is leaning over the edge, push him in. Of +course, he will not die, for that, as you say, is impossible; but no +one will know where to find him. So, your father being out of the way, +you will be king in his place." + +"That is surely good advice," said the Prince, "and I will go and do it +at once. Then the cow with the golden horns will be mine, and I shall +become the Monarch of Mo." + +The Prince turned to go back to the palace, and as soon as he was out +of sight, the horrid Dragon laughed to think what a fool it had made of +the boy. + +When Zingle saw his father he called him aside and said: + +"Your Majesty, I have discovered something very funny at the bottom of +the hole near the peanut trees. Come and see what it is." + +So the King went with the Prince, without suspecting his evil design, +and while he leaned over the hole the Prince gave him a sudden push. +The next moment down fell the Monarch of Mo--way to the bottom! + +Then Prince Zingle went back to the palace and began to milk the cow +with the golden horns. + +Now when the King found himself at the bottom of the hole he at first +did not know what to do; so he sat down and thought about it. Presently +a happy idea came into his head. He knew if only he was at the other +end of the hole, he would be at the top instead of the bottom, and +could make his escape. So the King took hold of the hole, and exerting +all his strength, turned the hole upside down. Being now at the top he +stepped upon the ground and walked back to the palace, where he caught +Prince Zingle milking the cow with the golden horns. + +"Oh, ho!" he said, "you wish to be King, do you? Well, we'll see about +that!" Then he took the naughty Prince by the ear and led him into the +palace, where he locked him up in a room from which he could not +escape. + +The King now sat himself down in an easy chair and began to think on +how he could best punish the Prince, but after an hour of deep thought +he was unable to decide on anything that seemed a sufficient +chastisement for so great an offense. + +At last he resolved to consult the Wise Donkey. + +The Wise Donkey lived in a pretty little house away at the end of the +Valley, for he didn't like to mix with the gay life at the court. He +had not always been wise, but at one time was a very stupid donkey +indeed, and he acquired his wisdom in this way. + +One Friday afternoon, just as school was letting out, the stupid donkey +strayed into the school-house, and the teachers and scholars were all +so anxious to get home that they never noticed the donkey, but locked +him up in the school-house and went away without knowing he was there. + +No one came into the building from Friday afternoon until Monday +morning; so the donkey got very hungry, and certainly would have +starved had he not chanced to taste of a geography that was sticking +out from one of the desks. The hungry donkey decided it was not so +very bad, so he ate it all up. Then he ate an arithmetic, an algebra, +and two first readers. After that he lay down and went to sleep; but +becoming hungry again he awoke and commenced on the school library, +which he completely devoured. This library comprised all the solid and +substantial wisdom in the Valley of Mo, and when the janitor opened the +school-house door on Monday morning, all the books of learning in the +whole land had been eaten up by the stupid donkey. + +You can readily understand that after he had digested all this +knowledge he became very wise, and thereafter the King and the people +often consulted the Wise Donkey when their own intelligence was at +fault. + +So now the monarch went to the donkey's house and told him of the +Prince's wickedness, asking how he could best punish him. + +The Wise Donkey thought about the matter for a moment and then replied: + +"I do not know a worse punishment than a pain in the stomach. Among the +books I ate in the school-house was a trigonometry, and before I had +digested it I suffered very severe pains indeed." + +"But I can not feed the Prince a trigonometry," returned the King. "You +ate the last one yourself." + +"True," answered the donkey; "but there are other things that cause +pain in the stomach. You know there is a certain island in Rootbeer +River that is made of fruit cake of a very rich quality. I advise you +to put the Prince on this island and allow him nothing to eat except +the fruit cake. Presently he will have violent pains in his stomach and +will be punished as greatly as you could desire." + +The King was well pleased with this plan, and having thanked the donkey +for his wise advice hurried back to the palace. + +Prince Zingle was now brought from his room and rowed in a boat to the +Fruit Cake Island in Rootbeer River, where he was left without any way +to escape. He knew how to swim, to be sure, but it was forbidden by law +to swim in the Rootbeer, as many people came to this river to drink. + +"You shall stay here," said the King, sternly, "until you are sorry for +your wickedness; and you shall have nothing to eat but fruit cake." + +The Prince laughed, because he thought the punishment was no punishment +at all. When the King had rowed away in the boat and Zingle was left +alone, he said to himself: + +"Why, this is delightful! I shall have a jolly time here, and can eat +all the cake I want, without any one scolding me for being greedy." + +He broke off a large piece of the island where the raisins and citron +were thickest, and commenced to eat it. But after a time he became +tired of eating nothing but fruit cake, and longed for something to go +with it. But the island did not contain a single thing except the cake +of which it was composed. + +Presently Prince Zingle began to have a pain inside him. He paid no +attention to it at first, thinking it would pass away; but instead it +grew more severe, so that he began to cry out; but no one heard him. + +The pain steadily increased, and the Prince wept and rolled on the +ground and began to feel exceeding sorry he had been so wicked. Finally +he seized the telephone, which was connected with the palace, and +called up the King. + +"Hullo!" said the King's voice, in reply; "what's wanted?" + +"I have a terrible pain," said the Prince, with a groan, "and I'm very +sorry indeed that I pushed your Majesty down the hole. If you'll only +take me off this dreadful island I'll be the best prince in all the +Valley from this time forth!" + +So the King sent the boat and had the Prince brought back to the +palace, where he forgave his naughty actions. Being a kind parent he +next fed his suffering son a blossom from a medicine tree, which +quickly relieved his pain and led him to appreciate the pleasure of +repentance. + + + +_The Fifth Surprise_ + +THE MONARCH CELEBRATES HIS BIRTHDAY + + +There were great festivities in the Valley of Mo when the King had a +birthday. The jolly monarch was born so many years ago that so every +one had forgotten the date. One of the Wise Men said the King was born +in February; another declared it was in May, and a third figured the +great event happened in October. So the King issued a royal decree that +he should have three birthdays every year, in order to be on the safe +side; and whenever he happened to think of it he put in an odd birthday +or two for luck. The King's birthdays came to be regarded as very +joyful events, for on these occasions festivities of unusual +magnificence were held, and everybody in the kingdom was invited to +participate. + +On one occasion the King, suddenly recollecting he had not celebrated +his birthday for several weeks, announced a royal festival on a most +elaborate scale. The cream-puff crop was an unusually large one, and +the bushes were hanging full of the delicious ripe puffs, which were +highly prized by the people of Mo. + +So all the maidens got out their best dresses and brightest ribbons, +and the young men carefully brushed their hair and polished their +boots, and soon the streets leading to the palace were thronged with +gay merry-makers. + +When the guests were all assembled a grand feast was served, in which +the newly-picked cream puffs were an important item. + +Then the King stood up at the head of the table and ordered his ruby +casket to be brought him, and when the people heard this they at once +became quiet and attentive, for the Ruby Casket was one of the most +curious things in the Valley. It was given the King many years before +by the sorceress, Maetta, and whenever it was opened something was +found in it that no living person had seen before. + +So the people, and even the King himself, always watched the opening of +the Ruby Casket with much curiosity, for they never knew what would be +disclosed. + +The King placed the casket on a small table before him, and then, after +a solemn look at the expectant faces, he said, slowly: + +"Giggle-gaggle-goo!" which was the magic word that opened the box. + +At once the lid flew back, and the King peered within and exclaimed: +"Ha!" + +This made the guests more excited than before, for they did not know +what he was saying "ha!" about; and they held their breaths when the +King put his thumb and finger into the box and drew out a little wooden +man about as big as my finger. He wore a blue jacket and a red cap and +held a little brass horn in his hand. + +The King stood the wooden man upon the table and then reached within +the box and brought out another wooden man, dressed just the same as +the other, and also holding a horn in his hand. This the King stood +beside the first wooden man, and then took out another, and another, +until ten little wooden men were standing in a row on the table, +holding drums, and cymbals, and horns in their small, stiff hands. + +"I declare," said the King, when he had stood them all up, "it's a +little German band. But what a shame it is they can not play." + +No sooner had the King uttered the word "play" than every little wooden +man put his horn to his mouth, or beat his drum, or clashed his cymbal; +and immediately they began to play such delicious music that all the +people were delighted, and even the King clapped his hands in applause. + +Just then from out the casket leaped a tiny Baby Elephant, about as +large as a mouse, and began capering about on its toes. It was dressed +in short, fluffy skirts, like those worn by a ballet-dancer, and it +danced so funnily that all who saw it roared with laughter. + +When the elephant stopped to rest, two pretty Green Frogs sprang from +the casket and began to play leapfrog before the astonished guests, who +had never before seen such a thing as a frog. The little green +strangers jumped over each other quick as a flash, and finally one of +them jumped down the other's throat. Then, as the Baby Elephant opened +his mouth to yawn, the remaining frog jumped down the elephant's +throat. + +The audience was so much amused at this feat that the Baby Elephant +thought he would see what he could do to please them; so he stood on +his head and gave a great jump, and disappeared down his own throat, +leaving the musicians to play by themselves. + +Then all the young men caught the girls about their waists and began +spinning around in a pretty dance of their own, and the fun continued +until they were tired out. + +The King thanked the tiny wooden musicians and put them back in the +Ruby Casket. He did not offer to take up a collection for them, there +being no money of any kind in the Valley of Mo. The casket was then +carried back to the royal treasury, where it was guarded with much care +when not in use. + +Just then a young man approached the King, asking permission for the +people to skate on the Crystal Lake, and his Majesty graciously +consented. + +As it was never cold in the Kingdom of Mo there was, of course, no ice +for skating. But the Crystal Lake was composed of sugar-syrup, and the +sun had candied the surface of the lake, so it had become solid enough +to skate on, and was, moreover, as smooth as glass. + +It was not often the King allowed skating there, for he feared some one +might break through the crust; but as it was his birthday he could +refuse the people nothing. So presently hundreds of the boys and girls +were skating swiftly on the Crystal Lake and having rare sport; for it +was just as good as ice, without being cold or damp. + +In the center there was one place where the crust was quite thin, and +just as the merriment was at its height, crack! went the ice--or candy, +rather--and down into the sugar-syrup sank the Princess Truella, and +the Prince Jollikin, and the King's royal chamberlain, Nuphsed. + +Down and down they went until they reached the bottom of the lake; and +there they stood, stuck fast in the syrup and unable to move a bit, +while all the people gathered on the shore to look at them, the lake +being as clear as the clearest water. + +Of course, this calamity put an end to further skating, and the King +rushed around asking every one how he could get his daughter and his +son and his royal chamberlain out of the mass. But no one could tell +him. + +Finally the King consulted the Wise Donkey; and after he had thought +the matter over and consulted his learning, the donkey advised his +Majesty to fish for them. + +"Fish!" exclaimed the King; "how can we do that?" + +"Take a fish-line and put a sinker on it, to make it sink through the +syrup. Then bait the end of the line with the thing that each one of +them likes best. In that way you can catch hold of them and draw them +out of the lake." + +"Well," said the King, "I'll try it, for of course you know what you +are talking about." + +"Have you ever eaten a geography?" demanded the Wise Donkey. + +"No," said the King. + +"Well, I have," declared the donkey, haughtily; "and what I don't know +about lakes and such things isn't in the geography." + +So the King went back to the Crystal Lake and got a strong fish-line, +which he tied to the end of a long pole. Then he put a sinker on the +end of the line and was ready for the bait. + +"What does the Princess Truella like best?" he asked the Queen. + +"I'm sure I do not know," replied the royal lady; "but you might try +her with a kiss." + +So one of the nicest young men sent a kiss to the Princess, and the +King tied it to the end of the line and put it in the lake. The sinker +carried it down through the sugar-syrup until the kiss was just before +the sweet, red lips of the pretty Princess. She took the kiss at once, +as the Queen had guessed, and the King pulled up the line, with the +Princess at the end of it, until he finally landed her on the shore. + +Then all the people shouted for joy and the Queen took the Princess +Truella home to change her clothes, for they were very sticky. + +"What does the Prince Jollikin like best?" asked the King. + +"A laugh!" replied a dozen at once, for every one knew the Prince's +failing. + +Then one of the girls laughed quite hard, and the King tied it to the +end of the line and dropped it into the lake. The Prince caught the +laugh at once, and was quickly drawn from the syrup and likewise sent +home to change his clothes. + +Then the King looked around on the people and asked: + +"What does the Chamberlain Nuphsed like best?" + +But they were all silent, for Nuphsed liked so many things it was +difficult to say which he liked best. So again the King was obliged to +go to the Wise Donkey, in order to find out how he should bait the line +to catch the royal chamberlain. + +The Wise Donkey happened to be busy that day over his own affairs and +was annoyed at being consulted so frequently without receiving anything +in return for his wisdom. But he pretended to consider the matter, as +was his wont, and said: + +"I believe the royal chamberlain is fond of apples. Try to catch him +with a red apple." + +At this the King and his people hunted all over the kingdom, and at +last found a tree with one solitary red apple growing on a little +branch nearly at the top. But unfortunately some one had sawed off the +trunk of the tree, close up to the branches, and had carried it away +and chopped it up for kindling wood. For this reason there was no way +to climb the tree to secure the apple. + +While the King and the people were considering how they might get into +the tree, Prince Thinkabit came up to them and asked what they wanted. + +"We want the apple," replied the King, "but some one has cut away the +tree trunk, so that we can not climb up." + +Prince Thinkabit rubbed the top of his head a minute, to get his brain +into good working order. It was a habit he had acquired. Then he walked +to the bank of the river, which was near, and whistled three times. +Immediately a school of fishes swam up to him, and one of the biggest +cried out: + +"Good afternoon, Prince Thinkabit; what can we do for you?" + +"I wish to borrow a flying fish for a few minutes," replied the Prince. + +Scarcely had he spoken when a fish flew out of the river and perched +upon his shoulder. Then he walked up to the tree and said to the fish: +"Get me the apple." + +The flying fish at once flew into the tree and bit off the stem of the +apple, which fell down and hit the King on the nose, for, +unfortunately, he was standing exactly under it. Then the Prince +thanked the flying fish and sent it back to the river, and the King, +having first put a plaster over his nose, took the apple and started +for the Crystal Lake, followed by all his people. + +But when the apple was fastened to the fish-line and let down through +the syrup to the royal chamberlain, Nuphsed refused to touch it. + +"He doesn't like it," said the King, with a sigh; and he went again to +the Wise Donkey. + +"Didn't he want the apple?" asked the donkey, as if surprised. But you +must know he was not surprised at all, as he had planned to get the +apple for himself. + +"No, indeed," replied the King. "We had an awful job to find the apple, +too." + +"Where is it?" inquired the donkey. + +"Here," said the King, taking it out of his pocket. + +The donkey took the apple, looked at it thoughtfully for a moment, and +then ate it up and smacked his lips, for he was especially fond of red +apples. + +"What shall we do now?" asked the King. + +"I believe the thing Nuphsed likes best is a kind word. Bait the line +with that, and you may catch him." + +So the King went again to the lake, and having put a kind word on the +fish-line quickly succeeded in bringing the royal chamberlain to the +shore in safety. You can well imagine poor Nuphsed was glad enough to +be on dry land after his long immersion in the sugar-syrup. + +And now that all had been rescued from the Crystal Lake, the King put a +rope around the broken crust and stuck up a sign that said "Danger!" so +that no one else would fall in. + +After that the festivities began again, and as there were no further +accidents the King's birthday ended very happily. + + + +_The Sixth Surprise_ + +KING SCOWLEYOW AND HIS CAST-IRON MAN + + +Across the mountains at the north of the Valley of Mo there reigned a +wicked King named Scowleyow, whose people lived in caves and mines and +dug iron and tin out of the rocks and melted them into bars. These bars +they then carried away and sold for money. + +King Scowleyow hated the Monarch of Mo and all his people, because they +lived so happily and cared nothing for money; and he would have sent +his army into the Valley to destroy the merry people who dwelt there +had he not been afraid of the sharp swords that grew on their trees, +which they knew so well how to use against their foes. + +So King Scowleyow pondered for a long time how to destroy the Valley of +Mo without getting hurt himself; and at last he hit on a plan he +believed would succeed. + +He put all his mechanics to work and built a great man out of +cast-iron, with machinery inside of him. When he was wound up the +Cast-iron Man could roar, and roll his eyes, and gnash his teeth and +march across the Valley, crushing trees and houses to the earth as he +went. For the Cast-iron Man was as tall as a church and as heavy as +iron could make him, and each of his feet was as big as a barn. + +It took a long time to build this man, as you may suppose; but King +Scowleyow was so determined to ruin the pretty Valley of Mo that he +made his men work night and day, and at last the Cast-iron Man was +ready to be wound up and sent on his journey of destruction. + +They stood him on the top of the mountain, with his face toward the +Beautiful Valley, and began to wind him up. It took a hundred men a +whole week to do this; but at last he was tightly wound, and the wicked +King Scowleyow stood ready to touch the spring that made him go. + +"One--two--three!" said the King, and touched the spring with his +ringer. + +The Cast-iron Man gave so terrible a roar that he even frightened the +men who had made him; and then he rolled his eyes till they flashed +fire, and gnashed his teeth till the noise sounded like thunder. + +The next minute he raised one great foot and stepped forward, crushing +fifty trees that stood in his path, and then away he went, striding +down the mountain, destroying everything that stood in his way, and +nearing with every step the Beautiful Valley of Mo. + +The King and his people were having a game of ball that day, and the +dog was acting as umpire. Suddenly, just as Prince Jollikin had made a +home run and everybody was applauding him, a terrible roaring noise +sounded in their ears, and they heard a great crashing of trees on the +mountain side and saw a monstrous man approaching the Valley. + +The people were so frightened they stood perfectly still, being unable +to move through surprise and terror; but the dog ran with all his might +toward the mountain to see what was the matter. Just as the dog reached +the foot of the mountain the Cast-iron Man came tramping along and +stepped into the Valley, where he ruined in one instant a large bed of +lady-fingers and a whole patch of ripe pumpkin pies. Indeed, the entire +Valley would soon have been destroyed had not the Cast-iron Man stubbed +his toe against the dog and fallen flat on his face, where he lay +roaring and gnashing his teeth, but unable to do any further harm. + +Presently the King and his people recovered from their fright and +gathered around their prostrate foe, marveling at his great size and +strength. + +"Had you not tripped him up," said the King to the dog, "this giant +would certainly have destroyed my kingdom. Who do you suppose was so +wicked as to send this monster to crush us?" + +"It must have been King Scowleyow," declared the dog, "for no one else +would care to harm you, and the giant came from the direction of the +wicked King's country." + +"Yes," replied the monarch, thoughtfully, "it must indeed have been +Scowleyow; and it was a very unkind act, for we never harmed him in any +way. But what shall we do with this great man? If he is left here he +will scare all the children with his roarings, and none of the ladies +will care to walk near this end of the Valley. He is so heavy that not +all of us together could lift him, and even if we succeeded we have no +place to put him where he would be out of the way." + +This was indeed true; so all the people sat down in a circle around the +Cast-iron Man and thought upon the matter intently for the space of an +hour. + +Then the monarch asked, solemnly, as became the importance of the +occasion: + +"Has any one thought of a way to get rid of him?" + +The people shook their heads gravely and thought deeply for another +hour. At the end of that time the dog suddenly laughed, and called out +in a voice so loud that it startled them: + +"I have thought of a way!" + +"Good!" exclaimed the King. "Let us hear your plan." + +"You see," explained the dog, "the Cast-iron Man is now lying on his +face. If we could only roll him over on to his back, and then raise him +to his feet again, he would be turned around, and would march straight +back to where he came from, and do us no further harm." + +"That is a capital idea," replied the King. "But how can we roll him +over, or make him stand up?" + +That puzzled them all for a while, but by and by Prince Thinkabit, who +was a very clever young man, announced his readiness to undertake the +job. + +"First, bring me a feather," commanded the Prince. + +The royal chamberlain hunted around and soon found for him a long, +fluffy feather. Taking this in his hand the Prince approached the +Cast-iron Man and tickled him under the left arm with the end of the +feather. + +"Ouch!" said the Cast-iron Man, giving a jump and rolling completely +over, so that he lay on his back. + +"Hurrah!" cried the people, clapping their hands with joy at this +successful stratagem; "the Prince is a very wise Prince, indeed!" + +Prince Thinkabit took off his hat and bowed politely to them in return +for the compliment. Then he said: + +"Bring me a pin." + +So Nuphsed brought him a pin with a very sharp point, and the Prince +took it and walked up to the Cast-iron Man, and gave him a sharp prod +in the back with the point of the pin. + +"Ouch!" again yelled the Cast-iron Man, giving at the same time such a +great jump that he leaped square on his feet. But now, to their joy, +they saw he was facing the mountains instead of the Valley. + +As soon as the Cast-iron Man stood up the machinery began to work +again, and he marched with great steps up the mountain side and over +into the kingdom of the wicked Scowleyow, where he crushed the King and +all his people, and laid waste the land wherever he went. + +And that was their punishment for being envious of the good people of +Mo. + +As to the fate of the Cast-iron Man, he was wound up so tightly that he +kept walking straight on until he reached the sea, where he stepped +into the water, went down to the bottom, and stuck fast in the mud. + +And I have no doubt he is there to this day. + + + +_The Seventh Surprise_ + +TIMTOM AND THE PRINCESS PATTYCAKE + + +Now of all the monarch's daughters the most beautiful by far was the +Princess Pattycake. The deep blue of her eyes made even the sky +envious, and the moss roses blushed when they saw the delicate bloom on +her cheeks. The long strands of her silken hair were brighter than +sunbeams, while her ears were like two tiny pink shells from the +seashore. Indeed, there was nothing in all the Valley so dainty and +pretty as Princess Pattycake, and many young men would have loved her +had they dared. But, alas! the Princess had a most terrible temper, and +never was pleased with anything; so the young men, and even the old +ones, were afraid to come near her. + +She scolded from morning till night; she stamped her pretty foot with +rage when any one spoke to her; and if ever her brothers tried to +reason with her she boxed their ears so soundly that they were glad to +let her alone. Even the good Queen could not love Pattycake as she did +her other children, and the King often sighed when he thought of the +ugly disposition of his beautiful daughter. Of course no one cared very +much for her society, and she sat in her room all day long, refusing to +join the others in their sports and games, and becoming more moody and +bad-tempered the older she grew. + +One day a young man came to the court to bring pickled peaches to his +Majesty, the King. The youth's name was Timtom, and he lived so far +away and came so seldom to court that never before had he seen the +Princess Pattycake. + +When he looked into her sweet, blue eyes he loved her at once for her +beauty, and being both brave and bold he went directly to the King and +asked for Pattycake's hand in marriage. + +His Majesty was naturally surprised at so strange a request; so he said +to the young man: + +"What does the Princess say? Does she love you?" + +"I do not know," replied Timtom, "for I have never spoken with her." + +"Well," said the King, much amazed at the ignorance and temerity of the +youth, "go and speak to my daughter about the matter, and then come and +tell me what she replies." + +Timtom went at once to the room where Princess Pattycake was moodily +sitting, and said, boldly: + +"I should like to marry you." + +"What!" screamed the Princess, in a great rage; "marry me! Go away this +instant, you impudent boy, or I shall throw my shoe at your head!" + +Timtom was both surprised and shocked at this outburst, but he realized +that the Princess had a remarkably bad temper. Still he was not moved +from his purpose, for she was so pretty he decided not to abandon the +attempt to win her. + +"Do not be angry, for I love you," he pleaded, looking bravely into +Pattycake's blue eyes. + +"Love me?" echoed the surprised Princess; "that is not possible! Every +one else hates me." + +"They do not hate you," ventured Timtom; "it is your temper they hate." + +"But my temper and I are one," answered the Princess, harshly, as she +stamped her foot. + +"Surely that is not so," returned the young man, "for certainly I love +you, while your temper I do not like a bit. Don't you think you could +love me?" + +"Perhaps I might, if you could cure my bad temper; but my temper will +not allow me to love any one. In fact, I believe that unless you go +away at once I shall be obliged to box your ears!" + +There seemed to be no help for her, so Timtom left the room sadly, and +going to the King, told him what she had said. + +"Then that is the end of the matter," declared the King, "for no one +can cure Pattycake of her bad temper." + +"I am resolved to try, nevertheless," replied Timtom, "and, if I +succeed, you must give me the Princess in marriage." + +"I will, and my blessing into the bargain," answered the King, +heartily. + +Then Timtom left the court, and went back to his father's house, where +he thought on the problem for a week and a day. At the end of that time +he was no nearer solving it than he was before; but his mother, who had +noticed that her boy was in trouble, now came to him to ask the cause +of his sad looks. Timtom told her all about the Princess Pattycake, and +of his love for her, and the evil temper that would not be cured. + +His mother gave him her sympathy, and after some thought, said to him: +"You must go to the sorceress Maetta and ask her assistance. She is a +good lady, and a friend to all the King's family. I am quite sure she +will aid you, if only you can find your way to the castle in which she +lives." + +"Where is this castle?" asked Timtom, brightening up. + +"Away to the south, in the midst of a thick wood," answered his mother. + +"Then," said he, sturdily, "if this castle exists, I will surely find +it, for to win Pattycake is my only hope of happiness." + +The next day he set out on his journey, filled with the hope of finding +Maetta's castle and securing her assistance. + +Before he had gone very far a snow-storm began to rage. Now, the +snow-storms in Mo are different from ours, for the snow is popcorn, and +on this day it fell so thick and fast that poor Timtom had much +difficulty in wading through it. He was obliged to stop frequently to +rest, and ate a great deal of the popcorn that cumbered his path, for +it was nicely buttered and salted. + +Finally, to his joy, it stopped snowing, and then he was able to walk +along easily until he came to the River of Needles. + +When he looked on this river he was nearly discouraged, and could not +think of a way to get across; for instead of water the river flowed a +perfect stream of sharp, glittering needles. + +Sitting down on the bank, he was wondering what he should do when to +his astonishment a small but sharp and disagreeable voice said to him: + +"Where are you going, stranger?" + +Timtom looked down between his feet and saw a black spider, which sat +on a blade of grass and watched him curiously. + +"I am on my way to visit the sorceress Maetta," replied Timtom; "But I +can not get across the River of Needles." + +"They are very sharp, and would make a thousand holes through you in an +instant," remarked the spider, thoughtfully. "But perhaps I can help +you. If you are willing to grant me a favor in return, I will gladly +build a bridge, so you may cross the river in safety." + +"What is the favor?" he asked. + +"I have lost an eye, and you must ask the sorceress to give me a new +one, for I can see but half as well as I could before." + +"I will gladly do this for you," said Timtom. + +"Very well; then I will build you a bridge," promised the spider; "but +if you have not the eye with you when you return I shall destroy the +bridge, and you will never be able to get home again." + +The young man agreed to this, for he was anxious to proceed. So the +spider threw a web across the river, and then another, and another, +until it had made a bridge of spider-web strong enough for Timtom to +cross over. + +It bent and swayed when his weight was on the slender bridge, but it +did not break, and after he was safe across he thanked the spider and +renewed his promise to bring back the eye. Then he hurried away on his +journey, for he had lost much time at the river. + +But, to his dismay, the young man shortly came to a deep gulf, that +barred his way as completely as had the River of Needles. He peered +down into it and saw it had no bottom, but opened away off at the other +side of the world. Here was an obstacle which might well dishearten the +boldest traveler, and Timtom was so grieved that he sat down on the +brink and wept tears of disappointment. + +"What is troubling you?" asked a soft voice in his ear. + +Turning his head the youth saw a beautiful white bird sitting beside +him. + +"I wish to visit the castle of the sorceress Maetta on very important +business," he replied, "but I can not get over the gulf." + +"I could carry you over with ease," said the bird, "and shall gladly do +so if, in return, you promise to grant me one favor." + +"What is the favor?" inquired Timtom. + +"I have forgotten my song, through having a sore throat for a long +time," replied the bird. "So, try as I may, I can not sing a single +note. If you will agree to bring me a new song from the sorceress I +will take you over the gulf, and bring you back when you return. But +unless you bring the song I shall not carry you over again." + +Timtom joyfully agreed to this bargain, and then, sitting on the bird's +neck, he was borne safely across the deep gulf. + +After continuing his journey for an hour without further interruption +he saw before him the edge of a great wood, and knew that in the midst +of this forest of trees was the castle of Maetta. + +He thought then that his difficulties were all over, and tramped +bravely on until he reached the wood. What, now, was the youth's horror +on discovering on one side of his path a great lion, crouched ready to +spring on any one who ventured to enter the wood, while on the other +side was a monstrous tiger, likewise prepared to attack any intruder. +The fierce beasts were growling terribly, and their eyes glowed like +balls of fire. + +Timtom gladly would have turned back had such a thing been possible, +for his heart was full of fear. But he remembered that without the +bird's song and the spider's eye he could never reach home again. He +also thought of the pretty face of Princess Pattycake, and this gave +him courage. Resolving to perish, if need be, rather than fail in his +adventure, the youth stepped boldly forward, and when he approached the +snarling guardians of the forest he gave one bound and dashed into the +wood. + +At the same moment the lion leaped at him from one side and the tiger +from the other, and no doubt they would have devoured him had not +Timtom's foot slipped just then and thrown him flat on the ground. The +lion and the tiger therefore met in mid air, and each one thinking it +had hold of Timtom, tried to tear him to pieces, with the result that +in a few moments they had devoured each other instead of him. + +The youth now strode rapidly through the wood, and was getting along +famously when he came to a high wall of jasper that completely blocked +his way. It was smooth as glass, and Timtom saw no way of climbing over +it. + +While he stood wondering how he might overcome this new obstacle a gray +rabbit hopped out from the bushes and asked: + +"Where do you wish to go, stranger?" + +"To the castle of the sorceress Maetta," answered Timtom. + +"Well, perhaps I can assist you," said the rabbit. "I need a new tail +badly, for my old one is merely a stump, and no use at all in fly-time. +If you will be kind enough to get me a new tail from the sorceress +Maetta--a long, nice, bushy tail--I will dig under the wall, and so +make a passage for you to the other side." + +"I shall be pleased to return the favor by bringing you the tail," +declared Timtom, eagerly. + +"Very well; then you shall see how fast I can work," returned the +rabbit. Immediately it began digging away with its little paws, and in +a very short time had made a hole large enough for Timtom to crawl +under the wall. + +"If you do not bring the tail," said the rabbit, in a warning voice, "I +shall fill up the hole again, so that you will be unable to get back." + +"Oh, I shall bring the tail, never fear," answered the youth, and +hurried away toward the castle of Maetta, which was now visible through +the trees. + +The castle was built of pure, white marble, and was very big and +beautiful. It stood in a lovely garden filled with blue roses and pink +buttercups, where fountains of gold spouted showers of diamonds, and +rubies, and emeralds, and amethysts, all of which sparkled in the sun +so gorgeously that it made Timtom's eyes ache just to look at them. + +However, he had not come to admire these things, gorgeous and beautiful +though they were, but to win the Princess Pattycake; so he walked to +the entrance of the castle, and seeing no one about, entered the great +door-way and passed through. + +He found himself in a passage-way covered with mother-of-pearl, where +many electric lights were hidden in shells of most exquisite tintings. +At the other end of the passage was a door studded with costly gems. + +Timtom walked up to this door and knocked on it. Immediately it swung +open, and the youth found himself in a chamber entirely covered with +diamonds. In the center was a large diamond throne, and on this sat +Maetta, clothed in a pure white gown, with a crown of diamonds on her +brow and in her hand a golden scepter tipped with one enormous diamond +that glowed like a ball of fire. Above the throne was a diamond-covered +chandelier, with hundreds of electric lights, and these made the Grand +Chamber of Diamonds glitter so brightly that Timtom was nearly blinded, +and had to shade his eyes with his hand. + +But after a few moments he grew accustomed to the brightness and +advancing to the throne fell on his knees before the sorceress and +begged her earnestly to grant him her assistance. + +Maetta was the most beautiful woman in all the world, but she was +likewise gracious and kind. So she smiled sweetly on the youth, bidding +him, in a voice like a silver bell, to arise from his knees and sit +before her. Timtom obeyed and looked around for a chair, but could see +none in the room. The lady made a motion with her scepter and instantly +at his side appeared a splendid diamond chair, in which the young man +seated himself, finding it remarkably comfortable. + +"Tell me what you desire," said the sorceress, in her sweet voice. + +"I love the Princess Pattycake," replied Timtom, without hesitation. +"But she has so evil a disposition that she has refused to marry me +unless I am able to cure her of her bad temper, which not only makes +her miserable but ruins the pleasure of every one about her. So, +knowing your power and the kindness of your heart, I have been bold +enough to seek your castle, that I might crave your assistance, without +which I can not hope to accomplish my purpose." + +Maetta waved her scepter thrice above her head, and a golden pill +dropped at Timtom's feet. + +"Your request is granted," she said. "If you can induce the Princess to +swallow this pill her evil temper will disappear, and I know she will +love you dearly for having cured her. Take great care of it, for if it +should be lost I can not give you another. Do you wish me to grant any +other request before you return to the court?" + +Then Timtom remembered the rabbit, and the bird, and the spider, and +told Maetta how he had promised to bring back a gift for each of them. + +So the kind sorceress gave him a nice, bushy tail for the rabbit, and a +very pretty song for the bird, and a new, bright eye for the spider. +These Timtom put in a little red box and placed the box carefully in +his pocket. But the golden pill he tied into the corner of his +handkerchief, for that was more precious than the rest. + +Having thanked the generous lady for her kindness and respectfully +kissed the white hand she held out to him, Timtom left the Chamber of +Diamonds and was soon proceeding joyfully on his homeward way. + +In a short time he reached the wall of jasper, but the rabbit was not +to be seen. So, while he awaited its coming, he lay down to rest, and +being tired by the long journey was soon fast asleep. And while he +slept a Sly Fox stole out from the wood and discovered Timtom lying on +the ground. + +"Oh, ho!" said the Sly Fox to himself, "this young man has been to +visit the sorceress, and I'll warrant he has some fine gift from her in +that little red box I see sticking out from his pocket. I must try to +steal that box and see what is in it!" + +Then, while the youth slumbered, unconscious of danger, the Sly Fox +carefully drew the little red box from his pocket, and, taking it in +his mouth, ran off into the woods with it. + +Soon after this the rabbit came back, and when it saw Timtom lying +asleep it awakened him and asked: + +"Where is my new tail?" + +"Oh, I have brought you a fine one," replied Timtom, with a smile. "It +is in this little red box." But when he searched for the box he +discovered it had been stolen. + +So great was his distress at the loss that the gray rabbit was sorry +for him. + +"I shall never be able to get home again," he moaned, weeping tears of +despair, "for all the gifts Maetta gave me are now lost forever!" + +"Never mind," said the rabbit, "I shall allow you to go under the wall +without giving me the tail, for I know you tried to keep your promise. +I suppose I can make this stubby tail do a while longer, since it is +the only one I ever possessed. But beware when you come to the bird and +the spider, for they will not be so kind to you as I am. The bird has +no heart at all, and the spider's heart is hard as a stone. Still I +advise you to keep up your courage, for if you are brave and fearless +you may succeed in getting home, after all. If you can not cross the +gulf and the River of Needles, you are welcome to come back and live +with me." + +Hearing this, Timtom dried his eyes and thanked the kind rabbit, after +which he crawled under the wall and resumed his journey. He became more +cheerful as he trudged along, for the golden pill was still safe in the +corner of his handkerchief. + +When he came to the white bird and began to explain how it was he had +lost the song and could not keep his promise, the bird became very +angry and refused to listen to his excuses. Nor could he induce it to +carry him again across the gulf. + +"I shall keep my word," declared the bird, stiffly; "for I warned you +that if you returned without the song I should refuse to assist you +further." + +Poor Timtom was at his wits' end to know what to do; so he sat down +near the brink of the gulf and twirled his thumbs and tried to keep up +his courage and think of some plan, while the white bird strutted +around in a cold and stately manner. + +Now it seems that just about this time the Sly Fox reached his den and +opened the little red box to see what was in it. The spider's eye, +being small, rolled out into the moss and was lost. The fox thought he +would put the bushy tail on himself and see if it would not add to his +beauty, and while he did this the song escaped from the box and was +blown by the wind directly to the spot where Timtom was sitting beside +the gulf. + +He happened to hear the song coming, so he took off his hat and caught +it, after which he called to the bird that he had found the song again. + +"Then I shall keep my promise," said the bird. "First, however, let me +try the song and see if it is suited to my voice." + +So he tried the song and liked it fairly well. + +"It sounds something like a comic opera," said the bird, "but, after +all, it will serve my purpose very nicely." + +A minute later Timtom rejoiced to find himself on the other side of the +gulf, and so much nearer home. But when he came to the River of Needles +there was more trouble in store for him, for the spider became so angry +at the loss of its eye that it tore down the spider-web bridge, and +refused to build another. + +This was indeed discouraging to the traveler, and he sat down beside +the river and looked longingly at the farther shore. The spider paid no +attention to him, but curled up and went to sleep, and the needles +looked at him curiously out of their small eyes as they flowed by in an +endless stream. + +After a time a wren came flying along, and when it noticed the look of +despair on Timtom's face the little creature perched on his shoulder +and asked: + +"What is your trouble, young man?" + +Timtom related his adventures to the sympathetic wren, and when he came +to the loss of the spider's eye and the refusal of the spiteful +creature to allow him to cross the bridge, the wren exclaimed, with +every appearance of surprise: + +"A spider's eye, did you say? Why, I believe that is what I have here +in my claw!" + +"Where?" cried Timtom, eagerly. + +The wren hopped into his lap, and carefully opening one of its tiny +claws disclosed the identical spider's eye which Maetta had given him. + +"That is wonderful!" exclaimed Timtom, in amazement. "But where did you +get it?" + +"I found it in the wood, hidden in the moss near the den of the Sly +Fox. It is so bright and sparkling I thought I would take it home for +my children to play with. But now, as you seem to want it so badly, I +shall have much pleasure in restoring it to you." + +Timtom thanked the little wren most gratefully, and called to the +spider to come and get its eye. When the spider tried the eye, and +found that it fitted perfectly and was even brighter than the old one, +it became very polite to the young man, and soon built the bridge +again. + +Having passed over the glittering needles in safety Timtom pushed +forward on his way, being urged to haste by the delays he had suffered. +When he reached the place where he had encountered the snow-storm, he +found the birds had eaten all the pop-corn, so he was able to proceed +without interruption. + +At last he reached the Monarch of Mo's palace and demanded an audience +with the Princess Pattycake. But the young lady, being in an especially +bad temper that day, positively refused to see him. + +Having overcome so many obstacles, Timtom did not intend to be thwarted +by a sulky girl, so he walked boldly to the room where the Princess sat +alone, every one being afraid to go near her. + +"Good day, my dear Pattycake," he said pleasantly; "I have come to cure +your bad temper." + +"I do not want to be cured!" cried the Princess, angrily. "Go away at +once, or I shall hurt you!" + +"I shall not go away until you have promised to marry me," replied +Timtom, firmly. + +At this Pattycake began to scream with rage, and threw her shoe +straight at his head. Timtom dodged the shoe and paid no attention to +the naughty action, but continued to look at the pretty Princess +smilingly. Seeing this, Pattycake rushed forward and seizing him by his +hair began to pull with all her strength. At the same time she opened +her mouth to scream, and while it was open Timtom threw the golden pill +down her throat. + +Immediately the Princess released his hair and sank at his feet sobbing +and trembling, while she covered her pretty face with her hands to hide +her blushes and shame. + +Timtom tenderly patted her bowed head, and tried to comfort her, +saying: + +"Do not weep, sweetheart; for the bad temper has left you at last, and +now every one will love you dearly." + +"Can you forgive me for having been so naughty?" asked Pattycake, +looking up at him pleadingly from her sweet blue eyes. + +"I have forgiven you already," answered Timtom, promptly; "for it was +not you, but the temper, that made you so naughty." + +The Princess Pattycake dried her tears and kissed Timtom, promising to +marry him; and together they went to seek the King and Queen. Those +good people were greatly delighted at the change in their daughter, and +consented at once to the betrothal. + +A week later there was a great feast in the Valley of Mo, and much +rejoicing among the people, for it was the wedding-day of Timtom and +the Princess Pattycake. + + + +_The Eighth Surprise_ + +THE BRAVERY OF PRINCE JOLLIKIN + + +There is no country so delightful but that it suffers some +disadvantages, and so it was with the Valley of Mo. At times the good +people were obliged to leave their games and sports to defend +themselves against a foe or some threatened disaster. But there was one +danger they never suspected, which at last came upon them very +suddenly. + +Away at the eastern end of the Valley was a rough plain, composed +entirely of loaf sugar covered with boulders of rock candy which were +piled up in great masses reaching nearly to the foot of the mountains, +containing many caves and recesses. + +The people seldom came here, as there was nothing to tempt them, the +rock candy being very hard and difficult to walk on. + +In one of the great hollows formed by the rock candy lived a monstrous +Gigaboo, completely shut in by the walls of its cavern. It had been +growing and growing for so many years that it had attained an enormous +size. + +For fear you may not know what a Gigaboo is I shall describe this one. +Its body was round, like that of a turtle, and on its back was a thick +shell. From the center of the body rose a long neck, much like that of +a goose, with a most horrible looking head perched on the top of it. +This head was round as a ball, and had four mouths on the sides of it +and seven eyes set in a circle and projecting several inches from the +head. The Gigaboo walked on ten short but thick legs, and in front of +its body were two long arms, tipped with claws like those of a lobster. +So sharp and strong were these claws that the creature could pinch a +tree in two easily. Its eyes were remarkably bright and glittering, one +being red in color, another green, and the others yellow, blue, black, +purple and crimson. + +It was a dreadful monster to see--only no one had yet seen it, for it +had grown up in the confinement of its cave. + +But one day the Gigaboo became so big and strong that in turning around +it broke down the walls of the cavern, and finding itself at liberty, +the monster walked out into the lovely Valley of Mo to see how much +evil it could do. + +The first thing the Gigaboo came to was a large orchard of preserved +apricots, and after eating a great quantity of the preserves it +wilfully cut off the trees with its sharp claws and utterly ruined +them. Why the Gigaboo should have done this I can not tell; but +scientists say these creatures are by nature destructive, and love to +ruin everything they come across. + +One of the people, being in the neighborhood, came on the monster and +witnessed its terrible deeds; whereupon he ran in great terror to tell +the King that the Gigaboo was on them and ready to destroy the entire +valley. Although no one had ever before seen a Gigaboo, or even heard +of one, the news was so serious that in a short time the King and many +of his people came to the place where the monster was, all having +hastily armed themselves with swords and spears. + +But when they saw the Gigaboo they were afraid, and stood gazing at it +in alarm, without knowing what to do or how to attack it. + +"Who among us can hope to conquer this great beast?" asked the King, in +dismay. "Yet something must be done, or soon we shall not have a tree +left standing in all the Valley of Mo." The people looked at one +another in a frightened way, but no one volunteered his services or +offered to advise the monarch what to do. + +At length Prince Jollikin, who had been watching the monster earnestly, +stepped forward and offered to fight the Gigaboo alone. + +"In a matter of this kind," said he, "one man is as good as a dozen. So +you will all stand back while I see where the beast can best be +attacked." + +"Is your sword sharp?" asked his father, the King, anxiously. + +"It was the sharpest on the tree," replied the Prince. "If I fail to +kill the monster, at least it can not kill me, although it may cause me +some annoyance. At any rate, our trees must be saved, so I will do the +best I can." + +With this manly speech he walked straight toward the Gigaboo, which, +when it saw him approaching, raised and lowered its long neck and +twirled its head around, so that all the seven eyes might get a glimpse +of its enemy. + +Now you must remember, when you read what follows, that no inhabitant +of the Valley of Mo can ever be killed by anything. If one is cut to +pieces, the pieces still live; and, although this seems strange, you +will find, if you ever go to this queer Valley, that it is true. +Perhaps it was the knowledge of this fact that made Prince Jollikin so +courageous. + +"If I can but manage to cut off that horrible head with my sword," +thought he, "the beast will surely die." + +So the Prince rushed forward and made a powerful stroke at its neck; +but the blow fell short, and cut off, instead, one of the Gigaboo's ten +legs. Quick as lightning the monster put out a claw and nipped the +Prince's arm which held the sword, cutting it from its body. As the +sword fell the Prince caught it in his other hand and struck again; but +the blow fell on the beast's shell, and did no harm. + +The Gigaboo, now very angry, at once nipped off the Prince's left arm +with one of its claws, and his head with the other. The arm fell on the +ground and the head rolled down a little hill behind some bonbon +bushes. The Prince, having lost both arms, and his head as well, now +abandoned the fight and turned to run, knowing it would be folly to +resist the monster further. But the Gigaboo gave chase, and so swiftly +did its nine legs carry it that soon it overtook the Prince and nipped +off both his legs. + +Then, its seven eyes flashing with anger, the Gigaboo turned toward the +rest of the people, as if seeking a new enemy; but the brave Men of Mo, +seeing the sad plight of their Prince and being afraid of the awful +nippers on the beast's claws, decided to run away; which they did, +uttering as they went loud cries of terror. + +But had they looked back they might not have gone so fast nor so far; +for when the Gigaboo heard their cries it, in turn, became frightened, +having been accustomed all its life to silence; so that it rushed back +to its cavern of rock candy and hid itself among the boulders. + +When Prince Jollikin's head stopped rolling, he opened his eyes and +looked about him, but could see no one; for the people and the Gigaboo +had now gone. So, being unable to move, he decided to lie quiet for a +time, and this was not a pleasant thing for an active young man like +the Prince to do. To be sure, he could wiggle his ears a bit, and wink +his eyes; but that was the extent of his powers. After a few minutes, +because he had a cheerful disposition and wished to keep himself +amused, he began to whistle a popular song; and then, becoming +interested in the tune, he whistled it over again with variations. + +The Prince's left leg, lying a short distance away, heard his whistle, +and, recognizing the variations, at once ran up to the head. + +"Well," said the Prince, "here is a part of me, at any rate. I wonder +where the rest of me can be." + +Just then, hearing the sound of his voice, the right leg ran up to the +head. "Where is my body?" asked the Prince. But the legs did not know. + +"Pick up my head and place it on top of my legs," continued the Prince; +"then, with my eyes and your feet, we can hunt around until we find the +rest of me." + +Obeying this command, the legs took the head and started off; and +perhaps you can imagine how funny the Prince's head looked perched on +his legs, with neither body nor arms. + +After a careful search they found the body lying upon the ground at the +foot of a shrimp-salad tree. But nothing more could be done without the +arms; so they next searched for those, and, having discovered them, the +legs kicked them to where the body lay. + +The arms now took the head from the legs and put the legs on the body +where they belonged. Then the right arm stuck the left arm in its +place, after which the left arm picked up the right arm and placed it +also where it belonged. Then all that remained was for the Prince to +place his head on his shoulders, and there he was--as good as new! + +He picked up his sword, and was feeling himself all over to see if he +was put together right, when he chanced to look up and saw the Gigaboo +again coming toward him. The beast had recovered from its fright, and, +tempted by its former success, again ventured forth. + +But Prince Jollikin did not intend to be cut to pieces a second time. +He quickly climbed a tree and hid himself among the branches. + +Presently the Gigaboo came to the tree and reached its head up to eat a +cranberry tart. Quick as a flash the Prince swung his sword downward, +and so true was his stroke that he cut off the monster's head with +ease. + +Then the Gigaboo rolled over on its back and died, for wild and +ferocious beasts may be killed in Mo as well as in other parts of the +world. Having vanquished his enemy, Prince Jollikin climbed down from +the tree and went to tell the people that the Gigaboo was dead. + +When they heard this joyful news they gave their Prince three cheers, +and loved him better than ever for his bravery. The King was so pleased +that he presented his son with a tin badge, set with diamonds, on the +back of which was engraved the picture of a Gigaboo. + +Although Prince Jollikin was glad to be the hero of his nation, and +enjoyed the triumph of having been able to conquer his ferocious enemy, +he did not escape some inconvenience. For, as the result of his +adventure, he found himself very stiff in the joints for several days +after his fight with the Gigaboo. + + + +_The Ninth Surprise_ + +THE WIZARD AND THE PRINCESS + + +Within the depths of the mountains which bordered the Valley of Mo to +the east lived a Wicked Wizard in a cavern of rubies. It was many, many +feet below the surface of the earth and cut off entirely from the rest +of the world, save for one passage which led through dangerous caves +and tunnels to the top of the highest mountain. So that, in order to +get out of his cavern, the Wizard was obliged to come to this mountain +top, and from there descend to the outside world. + +The Wizard lived all alone; but he did not mind that, for his thoughts +were always on his books and studies, and he seldom showed himself on +the surface of the earth. But when he did go out every one laughed at +him; for this powerful magician was no taller than my knee, and was +very old and wrinkled, so that he looked comical indeed beside an +ordinary man. + +The Wizard was nearly as sensitive as he was wicked, and was sorry he +had not grown as big as other people; so the laughter that always +greeted him made him angry. + +At last he determined to find some magical compound that would make him +grow bigger. He shut himself up in his cave and searched diligently +amongst his books until, finally, he found a formula recommended by +some dead and gone magician as sure to make any one grow a foot each +day so long as the dose was taken. Most of the ingredients were quite +easy to procure, being such as spiders' livers, kerosene oil and the +teeth of canary birds, mixed together in a boiling caldron. But the +last item of the recipe was so unusual that it made the Wizard scratch +his head in perplexity. + +It was the big toe of a young and beautiful princess. + +The Wizard thought on the matter for three days, but nowhere could he +think of a young and beautiful princess who would willingly part with +her big toe--even that he might grow to be as big as he wished. + +Then, as such a thing was not to be come by honestly, the Wicked Wizard +resolved to steal it. So he went through all the caves and passages +until he came to the mountain-top. Standing on the point of a rock he +placed one hand on his chin and the other on the back of his neck, and +then recited the following magical incantation: + + "I wish to go + To steal the big toe + Of a princess I know, + In order to grow + Quite big. And so + _I'll change, to a crow!"_ + +No sooner had he spoken the words than he changed into a Black Crow, +and flew away into the Valley of Mo, where he hid himself in a tall +tree that grew near the King's palace. + +That morning, as the Princess Truella was lying late in bed, with one +of her dainty pink feet sticking out from under the covers, in through +the window fluttered a Black Crow, which picked off her big toe and +immediately flew away with it. + +The Princess awoke with a scream and was horrified to find her +beautiful foot ruined by the loss of her biggest toe. When the King and +Queen and the Princes and Princesses, having heard her outcry, came +running in to see what was the matter, they were each and all very +indignant at the theft. + +But, search as they might, nowhere could they find the audacious Black +Crow, nor the Princess' big toe, and the whole court was in despair. + +Finally Timtom, who was now a Prince, suggested that Truella seek +assistance from the kind sorceress Maetta, who had helped him out of +his own difficulties. The Princess thought well of this idea, and +determined to undertake a journey to the castle. + +She whistled for her favorite Stork, and soon the great bird came to +her side. It was pure white, and of an extraordinary size. When the +Stork had been saddled the Princess kissed her father and mother good +by and seated herself on the bird's back, when it instantly rose into +the air and flew away toward the castle of Maetta. + +Traveling in this pleasant way, high in the air, the Princess crossed +the River of Needles and the deep gulf and the dangerous wood, and at +last was set down safe at the castle gates. + +Maetta welcomed the pretty Princess very cordially and, on being told +of her misfortune, at once agreed to assist her. So the sorceress +consulted her Oracle, which told her truly anything she wanted to know, +and then said to the Princess: + +"Your toe is in the possession of the Wicked Wizard who lives in the +ruby cave under the mountains. In order to recover it you must go +yourself to seek it; but I warn you that the Wizard will put every +obstacle in your path to prevent your finding the toe and taking it +from him." + +"Oh, dear!" exclaimed Truella, "I am afraid I shall never be able to +get my toe from such a horrid man." + +"Have courage, and trust in me," returned Maetta, "for I believe my +powers are stronger than his. I shall now furnish you the weapons you +must use to overcome him. Here is a magic umbrella, and in this basket +which you must carry on your arm, you will find a lump of putty, an +iron ball, a mirror, a package of chewing-gum and a magic veil, all of +which will be very useful. Here, also, is a winged dagger, with which +you must protect yourself if the Wizard attempts to harm you. With +these enchanted weapons and a brave heart I believe you will succeed. +So kiss me, my child, and start on your journey." + +Truella thanked the kind sorceress, and mounting the saddle of her +Stork flew away toward the high mountain in which dwelt the Wicked +Wizard. + +But the naughty man, by means of his black magic, saw her coming, and +sent such a fierce wind to blow against her that it prevented the Stork +from making any headway through the air. Therefore, in spite of his +huge wings and remarkable strength, the brave bird was unable to get an +inch nearer the mountain. + +When Truella saw this she put up the umbrella and held it in front of +the Stork; whereupon, being shielded from the wind, he flew easily to +the mountain. + +The Princess now dismounted and, looking into the hole at the top of +the mountain, discovered a flight of stairs leading downward. + +Taking her basket on her arm, as she had been directed, Truella walked +boldly down the steps until she came to a door. But then she shrank +back in affright, for before the door was coiled a great serpent, not +quite a mile long and fully as large around as a stick of wood. The +girl knew she must manage in some way to overcome this terrible +creature, so when the serpent opened its mouth and raised its head to +bite her, she reached within the basket, and finding the lump of putty, +threw it quickly into the serpent's mouth. The creature snapped its +jaws together so suddenly that its teeth stuck fast in the putty, and +this made it so furious that it wriggled around until it had tied +itself into a hard knot, and could wriggle no longer. + +Seeing there was no further danger, the Princess passed the door and +entered a large cave, which was but dimly lighted. While she paused to +allow her eyes to become accustomed to the darkness, so she might see +her way, a faint rustling sound reached her ears, and a moment later +there came toward her a hideous old woman, lean and bent, with wrinkled +face and piercing black eyes. She had only one tooth, but that was of +enormous size, being nearly as large as the tusk of an elephant; and it +curved out of her mouth and down under her chin, where it ended in a +very sharp point. Her finger-nails were a foot long, and they, also, +were very sharp and strong. + +"What are you doing here?" asked the old woman, in a harsh voice, while +she moved her horrible fingers, as if about to scratch out Truella's +eyes. + +"I came to see the Wizard," said the Princess, calmly, "and if you will +allow me to pass I shall give you, in return for the favor, some +delicious chewing-gum." + +"Chewing-gum!" croaked the old woman, "what is that?" + +"It is a dainty of which all ladies are very fond," replied Truella, +taking the packet from her basket. "This is it." + +The old woman hesitated a moment, and then said: + +"Well, I'll try the chewing-gum and see what it is like; there will be +plenty of time to scratch out your eyes afterwards." + +She placed the gum in her mouth and tried to chew it, but when she shut +her jaws together the great tusk went straight through her neck and +came out at the back. The old hag gave a scream and put up her hands to +pull out the tusk again, but so great was her excitement that in her +haste she scratched out both her own eyes, and could no longer see +where the Princess was standing. + +So Truella ran through the cave and came to, a door, on which she +knocked. Instantly it flew open, and before her she saw another cave, +this time brightly lighted, but filled with knives and daggers, which +were flying about in every direction. To enter this cave was +impossible, for the Princess saw she would immediately be pierced by +dozens of the sharp daggers. So she hesitated for a time, not knowing +how to proceed; but, chancing to remember her basket, she took from it +the iron ball, which she tossed into the center of the Cave of Daggers. +At once the dangerous weapons began to strike against the ball, and as +soon as they touched it they were broken and fell to the floor. In a +short time every one of the knives and daggers had been spoiled by +contact with the iron ball, and Truella passed safely through the cave +and came to another long stairway leading downward. At the bottom of +this she reached the third cave, and came upon a horrible monster. + +It had the body of a zebra, the legs of a rhinoceros, the neck of a +giraffe, the head of a bull dog, and three corrugated tails. This +monster at once began to growl and run toward her, showing its terrible +teeth and lashing its three tails. The Princess snatched the mirror +from her basket and, as the creature came near her, she held the +glittering surface before its eyes. It gave one look into the mirror +and fell lifeless at her feet, being frightened to death by its own +reflection in the mirror. + +Truella now walked through several more caves and descended a long +flight of stairs, which brought her to another door, on which was a +sign that read: + + "A. WIZARD, Esq., + Office hours: + From 10:45 until + a quarter to 11." + +The Princess, knowing that she had now reached the den of the Wizard +who had stolen her big toe, knocked boldly on the door. + +"Come in!" called a voice. + +Truella obeyed, and found herself in a large cave, the walls of which +were lined with rubies. In each of the four corners were big electric +lights, and these, shining upon the rubies, filled the cave with a deep +red glow. The Wizard himself sat at his desk in one of the corners, and +when the Princess entered he looked up and exclaimed: + +"What! Is it you? Really, I did not expect to see you. How did you +manage to pass the guards I placed within the caves and passageways to +prevent your coming here?" + +"Oh, that was not difficult," answered Truella, "for you must know I am +protected by a power stronger than your own." + +The Wizard was much annoyed at this reply, for he knew it was true, and +that only by cunning could he hope to oppose the pretty Princess. +Still, he was resolved not to give up the big toe unless obliged to, +for it was necessary to complete the magic compound. + +"What do you want?" he asked, after a moment's thought. + +"I want the toe you stole from me while I was asleep." + +The Wizard knew it was useless to deny the theft, so he replied: + +"Very well; take a chair, and I will see if I can find it." + +But Truella feared the little man was deceiving her; so when he turned +his back she took the magic veil from her basket and threw it over her +head. Immediately it began unfolding until it covered her completely, +from head to foot. + +The Wizard walked over to a cupboard, which he opened; and, while +pretending to search for the toe, he suddenly turned on a big faucet +that was concealed under a shelf. At once the thunder rolled, the +lightning flashed, and from the arched ceiling of the cavern drops of +fire began to fall, coming thicker and thicker until a perfect shower +of burning drops filled the room. + +These fell hissing upon Truella's veil, but could not penetrate it, for +they all bounded off and were scattered upon the rocky floor, where +they soon burned themselves out. Seeing this the Wizard gave a sigh of +disappointment and turned off the faucet, when the fire-drops ceased to +fall. + +"Please excuse this little interruption," he said, as if he had not +been the cause of it himself. "I'll find the toe in a few minutes. I +must have mislaid it somewhere." + +But Truella suspected he was up to more mischief, and was on her guard. +She saw him stealthily press a button, and in the same instant a deep +gulf opened in the floor of the cave, half way between the Princess and +the Wizard. + +Truella did not know what this meant, at first, unless it was to +prevent her getting across the room to where her toe was; but soon she +noticed that the gulf was moving toward her, slowly, but steadily; and, +as it extended across the cave from wall to wall, it would in time be +sure to reach the spot where she stood, when she would, of course, fall +into it. + +When she saw her danger the Princess became frightened, and tried to +escape through the door by which she had entered; but to her dismay she +found it locked. Then she turned to look at the Wizard. The little man +had perched himself upon a high stool, and was carelessly swinging his +feet and laughing with glee at Truella's awful peril. He thought that +at last he had certainly found a way to destroy her. The poor Princess +again looked into the gulf, which was gradually getting nearer and +nearer; and she shuddered at its vast depths. + +A cold wind began to sweep up from the abyss, and she heard mocking +laughter and savage growls from below, as if evil spirits were eagerly +waiting to seize her. + +Just as she was giving way to despair, and the gulf had crept very +close to her feet, Truella thought of her winged dagger. She drew it +from her bosom and, pointing it toward her enemy, said: + + "Save me from the Wizard's art-- + Fly until you reach his heart. + Foil his power and set me free, + This is my command to thee!" + +In a flash the dagger flew from her hand and struck the Wizard full on +his breast. With a loud cry he fell forward into the gulf, which in the +same instant closed up with a crash. Then, when the rocks about her had +ceased trembling from the shock, the door swung open, leaving the +Princess at liberty to go where she pleased. + +She now searched the Wizard's cupboard until she found her toe, which +had been safely hidden in a little ivory box. Truella stopped only long +enough to put on her toe, and then she ran through the caves and up the +stairways until she reached the top of the mountain again. + +There she found her Stork patiently awaiting her and, having seated +herself on its back, she rode safely and triumphantly back to her +father's palace. + +The King and Queen were delighted when she recounted to them the +success of her adventure, but they shuddered when they learned of the +fearful dangers their sweet little daughter had encountered. + +"It seems to me," said the good Queen, "that a big toe is scarcely +worth all the trouble you have had in recovering it." + +"Perhaps not," replied the Princess, thoughtfully; "but a big toe is +very handy to have when you wish to dance; and, after all, I succeeded +in destroying the Wicked Wizard, which surely repays me for the trials +I have been forced to undergo." + + + +_The Tenth Surprise_ + +THE DUCHESS BREDENBUTTA'S VISIT TO TURVYLAND + + +The Duchess Bredenbutta was forty-seventh cousin to the Monarch of Mo +and great-grandniece to the Queen; so you can readily see she was +nearly related to the Princess Pattycake and had blue blood in her +veins. She lived in a pretty house on the banks of Rootbeer River, and +one of her favorite amusements was to row on the river in her boat, +which, although rather small, was light as a cork. + +One day, as usual, the Duchess went for a row on the river, expecting +to return home in about an hour; but after floating a long distance +down the stream she fell asleep in the boat and did not awake until she +felt a sudden shock. + +Then, sitting up and looking about her, she found, to her alarm, that +the boat had drifted to the end of the Land of Mo, and was in the +rapids leading to the Great Hole in the ground where the river +disappeared from view. Becoming very much frightened, Bredenbutta +looked for the oars of her boat, that she might row to the bank; but +soon she discovered that the oars had fallen overboard and were lost, +leaving her without any means of saving herself. + +The poor Duchess now began to cry out; but no one heard her. Gradually +the boat came nearer and nearer to the Great Hole, now bumping against +the rocks and now spinning around with the current, until at last it +paused for an instant on the very brink of the chasm down which the +river fell. + +The girl seized the sides of the boat in a firm grasp, and the next +moment it plunged headlong into the Hole. + +After the shock was over Bredenbutta wiped the moisture from her eyes +and looked to see where she was, and what had become of her. She found +that she had landed in a very remarkable country, and for a time could +do nothing but gaze in wonder on the strange sights that met her view. + +The trees were all growing on their top branches, with their roots high +in the air; and the houses rested on the tops of their chimneys, the +smoke going into the ground, and the doorsteps being at the tops of the +buildings. A rabbit was flying around in the air, and a flock of +skylarks walked on the ground, as if they belonged there. + +Bredenbutta rubbed her eyes, for at first the girl thought she must be +dreaming; but when she looked again everything was in the same +unnatural position. + +To add to her amazement she now saw a queer creature coming toward her. +She might have taken him for a young man, only ho was just the reverse +of any young man Bredenbutta had ever seen. He stood upon his hands, +which were clad in boots, and used his feet as we use our hands, +seeming to be very handy with his toes. His teeth were in his ears, and +he ate with them and heard with his mouth. He also smelled with his +eyes and saw out of his nose--which was all very curious. When he +walked he ran, and when he ran he stood still. He spoke when he was +silent and remained dumb when he had anything to say. In addition to +this, he wept real tears when he was pleased, and laughed merrily +whenever anything grieved him. + +It was no wonder the Duchess Bredenbutta stared in surprise when such +an odd creature came up to her backward and looked at her solemnly from +his pug nose. + +"Who are you?" asked Bredenbutta, as soon as she could find breath to +speak. + +The young man kept quiet and answered: "My name is Upsydoun." + +"I think you are," laughed Bredenbutta. + +"You think I am what?" demanded the young man, the voice coming from +his ear. + +"Up-side-down," she replied. + +At this retort the tears rolled down his cheeks with joy. + +"Why, it is _you_ who are up-side-down," he said; "how in the world +did you get up here?" + +"Down here, you mean," corrected the Duchess, with dignity. + +"I mean nothing of the kind," he said, silently, while his nose +twinkled with amusement; "this country is up, and not down." + +"What country is it?" inquired Bredenbutta, much perplexed by such an +absurd statement. + +"Why, Turvyland, to be sure," was the answer. + +"Oh!" sighed Bredenbutta; but she was no wiser than before. + +"Now you are here," said Upsydoun, "you may come home with me and eat +some dinner." + +"I shall be very glad to," answered the Duchess, who was really hungry. +"Where do you live?" + +"Over there," replied Upsydoun, pointing to the south; "so stay where +you are and follow me." Then he walked away on his hands in exactly the +opposite direction from that he had indicated. + +Bredenbutta followed him, and shortly after encountered several other +people, of just the same queer appearance as her conductor. They looked +out of their noses at her in great surprise, and, without speaking, +asked Upsydoun who she was. + +"The Duchess Bredenbutta," he silently answered, "I found her where the +Rootbeer River bubbles up. Isn't she a queer-looking creature?" + +"She is, indeed," they all answered, in a still chorus, and then they +followed the girl out of curiosity, as boys follow a band or a dancing +bear. When they reached the house of Upsydoun more than a hundred +inhabitants of Turvyland were at Bredenbutta's heels and Upsydoun's +thumbs. + +She was welcomed very kindly, however, and the young man's mother +kissed the Duchess with her left ear, an act which was considered a +special mark of favor in Turvyland, + +"Would you like to stand up and rest yourself until dinner-time?" asked +the lady when the girl had entered the parlor. + +"No, thank you," replied Bredenbutta, who was very tired. Being +ignorant of their customs she did not know these people usually stood +up when they slept or rested. Her answer seemed to satisfy Upsydoun's +mother, who thought when she said "no" she meant "yes." + +"You really don't look equal to lying down," she remarked, pleasantly; +"so you may stand until I call you to dinner, which will be in a long +time." Then she excused herself and walked backward out of the window, +which Bredenbutta noticed they all used instead of doors. + +"Dear me," said the Duchess, when she was left alone; "I am sure I +shall never be able to understand these strange people. But I mean to +sit down, anyway, and if it really is a long time before dinner, I +shall probably starve in the meantime." + +She had not rested more than a few minutes, however, before the lady +again put her foot through the window, and waving it invitingly toward +her exclaimed: "Go away to dinner." + +"Go away!" replied the Duchess in dismay; "where shall I go to?" + +"Why, to me, of course," answered Upsydoun's mother, dumbly; but she +winked her nose thoughtfully, as if she scarcely knew how to converse +with her strange visitor. Surely Bredenbutta ought to know that when +they said "go" in Turvyland, they meant "come." + +In spite of her uncertainty, she followed her hostess, and when they +entered the dining-room the Duchess was shocked to see all the family +stand on their heads on the chairs and pick up their knives and forks +with their toes. She was more horrified, however, when they began to +eat; for, contrary to all custom, these people placed their food in +their ears. And they did it so calmly that she did not even +remonstrate, remembering it must be their habit to eat in this way. + +She, herself, sat down in her chair in a proper manner, and began to +eat with the fork in her hand; and when the people of Turvyland saw +this, they all shed tears of merriment. + +Just then the youngest child of the family began laughing, and the +mother rushed to it as fast as her hands could carry her, to see what +was the matter. But the child had only put its foot into its pocket and +could not get it out again. The mother soon managed to get it free, and +then the child stopped laughing and began weeping as happily as any of +the others. + +Bredenbutta was greatly bewildered at all this, but she ate heartily, +nevertheless, and after having begged her in vain to stand on her head, +as they did, the family let her alone, being surprised to see how well +she could use her hands. After dinner Upsydoun's sister played on the +piano with her toes, while the others indulged in a dance, whirling +around on their thumbs in a manner truly marvelous, and seeming, by +their tears, to enjoy themselves very much. + +As the dance ended a kitten came running into the room on its ears and +the tip of its tail, and this looked so funny that Bredenbutta began +laughing. But seeing she had frightened her kind friends, who wanted to +send for a doctor, she refrained from laughing, and asked, gravely, if +she could not find a way to return to the Valley of Mo. + +"The only possible way of getting down there," replied Upsydoun, "is to +jump into the Rootbeer River; but that would be dangerous, and none of +our people have ever tried it" + +"Any danger," said the Duchess, "I will gladly brave; for otherwise I +shall be obliged to spend my entire life down here, among people whose +ways are exactly opposite to my own. If you will kindly take me to the +river I shall lose no time in making an effort to return home." + +They good-naturedly assented to this, and walked backward with her +until they came to the place where the river bubbled up. It really did +bubble _up_, Bredenbutta noticed, although she knew very well she had +fallen _down_ the Great Hole. But, then, everything was topsyturvy in +this strange land. + +The girl found her little boat, which had stranded on the beach, and +having placed it where she could push it into the river, she turned to +say good by to the queer people of Turvyland. + +"I am glad to see you go," said Upsydoun, without speaking, "for I like +you. But you are a strange creature, and perhaps know what is best for +you. Here are some oars for your boat, for I see you have none, and +when you get down to your country you may need them." + +Bredenbutta joyfully accepted the oars, and placed them in her boat. +Then the people of Turvyland all kissed her with their left ears and +waved their toes in farewell, while the Duchess got into the boat and +pushed it out into the river. + +Instantly she was in the midst of such a whirling of foam and rushing +and roaring of rootbeer that she could neither see nor hear anything. +Gasping for breath, the girl clung tightly to the sides of the boat, +and in a few minutes it was all over, and the boat bobbed up in the +Valley of Mo--just above the Great Hole. Bredenbutta then seized the +oars and rowed hard until there was no danger of her falling in again, +and soon she had passed the rapids and was rowing safely up the river +to her own home. + +Of course the Duchess was very glad again to be among the people who +acted in a natural manner, instead of the absurd fashion of her +friends, the Turvylanders. She resolved that whenever she rowed her +boat upon the river again, she would be careful to keep away from the +Great Hole, for she realized that another visit to Upsydoun and his +people would be very trying to her nerves. + + + +_The Eleventh Surprise_ + +PRINCE FIDDLECUMDOO AND THE GIANT + + +It happened, one morning, that the Monarch of Mo was not in his usual +pleasant humor; and, of course, there was an excellent reason for this. + +At the back of his garden grew one tree that generally bore an abundant +crop of animal-crackers, and although the King and his court, being +surfeited with all the dainties of the land, did not care much for +these edibles, the younger inhabitants of Mo were especially fond of +them, and yelled with delight whenever the King divided the crop of his +tree among them. + +A few days before the King had examined the tree and found the +animal-crackers not quite ripe. Whereupon he had gone away and +forgotten all about them. And, in his absence, they had ripened to a +delicious light brown; and their forms had rounded out, so that they +hung as thickly together as peas in a pod. As they swung from their +stems, swaying backward and forward in the light breeze, they waited +and waited for some one to come and pick them. But no one came near the +tree, and the animals grew cross and restless in consequence. + +"I wonder when we shall be gathered," remarked a hippopotamus-cracker, +with a yawn. + +"Oh, you wonder, do you?" mockingly replied a camel-cracker hanging +near, "do you really expect any one to gather _you_, with your thick +hide and clumsy legs? Why, the children would break their teeth on you +at the first bite." + +"What!" screamed the hippopotamus, in much anger, "do you dare insult +_me_, you humpbacked beast of burden?" + +"Now then--now then!" interrupted a wolf-cracker that hung from a stem +just above them; "what's the use of fighting, when we are so soon to be +eaten?" + +But the camel-cracker would not be appeased. + +"Thick-headed brute!" he yelled at the hippopotamus, angrily. + +"Hump-backed idiot!" shrieked the other. + +At this the camel swung himself fiercely on his branch, and bumped +against the hippopotamus, knocking him off from the tree. The ground +underneath was chocolate, and it was soft and sticky, not having dried +since the last rain. So when the hippopotamus fell he sank half way +into the ground, and his beautiful brown color was spattered with the +muddy chocolate. + +At this vengeful deed on the part of the camel all the other animals +became furious. A full-grown goat-cracker swung himself against the +camel and knocked it, in turn, from its stem; and in falling on the +ground it broke its hump off. Then a lion-cracker knocked the goat +down, and an elephant knocked a cat down, and soon the whole tree was +in a violent commotion. The animals fought with each other so +desperately that before long the entire treeful of animal-crackers had +fallen to the ground, where many lay broken and disfigured, and the +remainder were sunk deep in the chocolate mud. + +So when the King, finally remembering his tree, came and looked on the +sorry sight, it dampened his usual good spirits, and he heartily wished +he had picked the quarrelsome crackers before they began to fight among +themselves. + +While he stood thinking dismally on this, up came Prince Fiddlecumdoo +and asked permission to go on a journey. + +"Where do you wish to go?" asked the King. + +"I am tired of this beautiful Valley," answered Fiddlecumdoo, "and as +the bicycle tree beside the Crystal Lake is now hanging full of ripe +wheels, I thought I would gather one and ride over into the next valley +in search of adventure." You see, this Prince was the King's youngest +son, and had been rather spoiled by petting, as youngest sons often +are. + +"The next valley, my son, is inhabited by the giant Hartilaf," said the +King, "and should you meet him he might do you an injury." + +"Oh, I am not afraid of Hartilaf," replied Fiddlecumdoo, boldly. "If he +should not be pleasant to me, I could run away from him on my wheel." + +"I don't know about that," responded the King. "There may be bicycle +trees in the next valley, as well as here; and it is always dangerous +and foolish for any one to leave this Valley, where there is everything +that heart could wish. Instead of running away in search of adventures, +you would do better to remain at home and help your mother pick collar +buttons and neckties for the family." + +"That is work," said Fiddlecumdoo, sulkily, "and I hate work." + +"Yet somebody has to pick the collar buttons," returned the King, "or +we should be unable to keep our collars on." + +"Then let Jollikin help my mother. I am horribly tired of this stupid +place, and shall not be happy until I have traveled around and seen +something more of the world." + +"Well, well! go if you wish," answered the King, impatiently. "But take +care of yourself, for when you are away from this Valley there will be +no one to protect you from danger." + +"I can take care of myself," cried the Prince, "so do not worry about +me," and he ran away quickly, before his father had time to change his +mind and withdraw his consent. + +He selected the best and ripest bicycle on the tree, and, having +mounted it, was soon speeding away along the path to the mountains. + +When he reached the far eastern part of Mo he came on a bush bearing a +very good quality of violins, and this at once attracted Fiddlecumdoo, +who was a most excellent violinist, being able to play correctly a +great number of tunes. So he dismounted and selected from the bush a +small violin that seemed to have a sweet tone. This he carried with +him, under his arm, thinking if he became lonesome he could amuse +himself with the music. + +Shortly after resuming his journey he came to the Maple Plains, a level +stretch of country composed entirely of maple sugar. These plains were +quite smooth, and very pleasant to ride on; but so swiftly did his +bicycle carry him that he soon crossed the plains and came on a river +of pure maple syrup, so wide and deep that he could neither leap nor +swim it. + +Dismounting from his bicycle the Prince began looking for some means of +crossing the river. No bridge was visible in either direction, and the +bank was bare save for a few low bushes on which grew maple bonbons and +maple caramels. + +But Prince Fiddlecumdoo did not mean to be turned back by so small a +matter as a river, so he scooped a hole in the maple sand, and having +filled it with syrup from the river, lighted a match and began boiling +it. After it had boiled for a time the maple syrup became stringy, and +the Prince quickly threw a string of it across the river. It hardened +almost immediately, and on this simple bridge the Prince rode over the +stream. + +Once on the other side he sped up the mountain and over the top into +the next valley, where, he stopped and began to look about him. + +He could see no roads in any direction, but away down at the foot of +the valley was a monstrous house, so big you could easily put a small +village inside it, including the church. This, Fiddlecumdoo thought, +must be where the giant lived; and, although he saw no one about the +house, he decided to make a call and introduce himself to Mr. Hartilaf. +So he rode slowly down the valley, playing on his violin as he went, +that the music might announce his coming. + +The giant Hartilaf was lying on the sofa in his sitting-room, waiting +for his wife to prepare the dinner; and he had nearly fallen asleep +when the sound of Fiddlecumdoo's music fell on his ear. This was so +unusual in his valley that the giant arose and went to the front door +to see what caused it. + +The Prince had by this time nearly reached the house, and when the +giant appeared he was somewhat startled, as he had not expected to see +any one quite so big. But he took care not to show any fear, and, +taking off his hat, he bowed politely to the giant and said: + +"This is Mr. Hartilaf, I suppose?" + +"That is my name," replied the giant, grinning at the small size of his +visitor. "May I ask who you are?" + +"I am Prince Fiddlecumdoo, and I live in the next valley, which is +called the Valley of Mo. Being determined to see something of the +world, I am traveling for pleasure, and have just dropped in on you for +a friendly call." + +"You are very welcome, I am sure," returned the giant. "If you will +graciously step into my humble home I shall be glad to entertain you at +dinner." + +Prince Fiddlecumdoo bowed low and accepted the invitation, but when he +endeavored to enter the house he found the steps so big that even the +first one was higher than his head, and he could not climb to the top +of it. + +Seeing his difficulty the giant carefully picked him up with one finger +and his thumb, and put him down on the palm of his other hand. + +"Do not leave my bicycle," said the Prince, "for should anything happen +to it I could not get home again." + +So the giant put the bicycle in his vest pocket, and then he entered +the house and walked to the kitchen, where his wife was engaged +preparing the dinner. + +"Guess what I've found," said the giant to his wife, holding his hand +doubled up so she could not see the Prince. + +"I'm sure I don't know," answered the woman. + +"But, guess!" pleaded the giant. + +"Go away and don't bother me," she replied, bending over the stewpan, +"or you won't have any dinner to-day." + +The giant, however, was in a merry mood, and for a joke he suddenly +opened his hand and dropped the Prince down his wife's neck. + +"Oh, oh!" she screamed, trying to get at the place where the Prince had +fallen, which was near the small of her back. "What is it? I'm sure +it's some horrible crocodile, or dragon, or something that will bite +me!" And the poor woman lay down on the carpet and began to kick her +heels against the floor in terror. + +The giant roared with laughter, but the Prince, now being able to crawl +out, scrambled from the lady's neck, and, standing beside her head, he +made a low bow and said: + +"Do not be afraid, Madam; it is only I. But I must say it was a very +ungallant trick for your husband to play on you, to say nothing of my +feelings in the matter." + +"So it was," she exclaimed, getting upon her feet again, and staring +curiously at Fiddlecumdoo. "But tell me who you are and where you came +from." + +The giant, having enjoyed his laugh, now introduced the Prince to his +wife, and as dinner was ready to serve they sat down at the table +together. + +Fiddlecumdoo got along very well at dinner, for the giant thoughtfully +placed him on the top of the table, where he could walk around as he +pleased. There being no knife nor fork small enough for him to use, the +Prince took one of the giant's toothpicks, which was as big as a sword, +and with this served himself from the various dishes that stood on the +table. + +When the meal was over the giant lighted his pipe, the bowl of which +was as big as a barrel, and asked Fiddlecumdoo if he would kindly favor +them with some music. + +"Certainly," replied the Prince. + +"Please come into the kitchen," said the giantess, "for then I can +listen to the music while I am washing the dishes." + +The prince did not like to refuse this request, although at home he was +not allowed to enter his mother's kitchen; so the giant carried him in +and placed him on a high shelf, where Fiddlecumdoo seated himself on a +spool of thread and began to play his violin. + +The big people enjoyed the music very much at first, for the Prince was +a capital player. But soon came a disagreeable interruption. + +About a month before the giant had caught several dancing-bears in the +mountains, and, having brought them home, had made them into strings of +sausages. These were hanging in graceful festoons from the beams of the +kitchen ceiling, awaiting the time when they should be eaten. + +Now when the dancing-bear sausages heard the music of Fiddlecumdoo's +violin, they could not resist dancing; for it is well known that +sausages made from real dancing-bears can not remain quiet where there +is music. The Prince was playing such a lively tune, that presently the +strings of sausage broke away from the ceiling and fell clattering to +the floor, where they danced about furiously. Not being able to see +where they were going, they bumped against the giant and his wife, +thumping them on their heads and backs, and pounding them so severely +that the woman became frightened and hid under the table, while the +giant started to run away. + +Seeing their plight, Fiddlecumdoo stopped playing, and at once the +sausages fell to the floor and lay still. + +"That was strange," said the giant, as soon as he could catch his +breath; "the bears evidently do not forget how to dance even after they +are chopped up into sausage meat. I must beg you to abandon your +concert for the present, but before you visit us again we shall have +eaten the sausages, and then you may play to your heart's content." + +"Had I known they were so lively," remarked the giantess, as she +crawled from beneath the table, "we should have eaten them before +this." + +"That reminds me that I intended to have stewed polar bears for +supper," continued the giant; "so I think I will walk over into Alaska +and catch some." + +"Perhaps the Prince would prefer elephant pie," suggested the lady, +"and in that case you might make a run into South America for +elephants." + +"I have no choice in the matter," said the Prince, "never having eaten +either. But is it not rather a long journey to Alaska or to South +America?" + +"Not at all!" protested the giant. "I shall enjoy the walk, and can +easily be back by sundown. Won't you come with me?" he asked the boy. +But Fiddlecumdoo did not like the idea of so long a journey, and begged +to be excused. + +The giantess brought her lord a great bag to put the polar bears in, +and he prepared to start. + +"I leave you to amuse my wife during my absence," he said to the +Prince. "Pray make yourself entirely at home, and use my castle as you +would your own house, and if I have good luck you shall eat a delicious +polar-bear stew for your supper." + +Then he slung the sack across his back and went away, whistling +merrily. And so great were his strides that in less than a minute he +was out of sight. + +"This is my busy day," said the giantess to Fiddlecumdoo, "and I fear I +shall not be able to entertain you in a proper manner, for I must +hasten to the laundry to wash the clothes. However, if you care to +accompany me, we may converse together while I am doing my work." + +"I shall take great pleasure in visiting your laundry," he replied, +"for never before have I been in such a place. And surely it will be +more agreeable to watch you at your work than to spend the day alone in +these great rooms." + +"Come along, then," she said, and picking him up she placed him in the +pocket of her apron, for she knew he would be unable to walk down the +flight of stairs that led to the laundry. He was very comfortable in +the pocket, which was just deep enough to allow his head and shoulders +to project from the top. Therefore he was able to see all that was +going on while the lady was at work. He watched her wash and rinse the +clothes, and was greatly interested in the operation, as it was all new +to him. + +By and by the giantess brought an immense clothes-wringer from a shelf, +and having fastened it to the side of the big wash tub began to wring +out the clothes. + +Prince Fiddlecumdoo had never seen a clothes-wringer before, and so +pleased was he with the novelty of it that he leaned far out of the +pocket to watch it work. But, unfortunately, he lost his balance, and +before he knew what had happened to him had fallen from the pocket and +lay sprawling on one of the giant's shirts, which was just then passing +through the wringer. + +The woman did not notice his fall, and the next instant he was drawn +between the two great rollers, and came out on the other side as thin +and flat as a sheet of paper. + +Then the giant's wife saw what she had done, and realizing how serious +was the Prince's condition, the good lady was much grieved over the +accident. She picked Fiddlecumdoo up and tried to stand him on his +feet, but he was so thin that at the least draft he fluttered like a +flag, while a puff of wind would blow him completely over. + +"Dear me!" exclaimed the woman, sorrowfully, "whatever can we do with +you in that shape?" + +"I really do not know what will become of me," replied the Prince. "I +am certainly no good in this condition. I can not even walk across the +room without toppling over. Can not you manage to push me together +again?" The giantess tried to do this, but the Prince was so sharp that +his edges hurt her hands, and all she could do was to fold him up and +carry him into the drawing-room, where she laid him carefully on the +center-table. + +Just before sundown the giant returned from Alaska, bringing several +fat polar-bears in his bag; and scarcely had he set foot within the +house before he inquired after his guest, the Prince. + +"You will find him on the drawing-room table," said the giantess. "I +accidently ran him through the clothes-wringer this afternoon, and the +poor boy is as thin as a pie crust. So I folded him up and put him away +until you returned." + +The giant immediately went to the table and unfolded Fiddlecumdoo, +asking him how he felt. + +"Very miserable," answered the Prince, "for I can not move at all when +I am folded up. Where is my bicycle?" + +The giant searched all his pockets, but could not find it. + +"I must have lost it on my journey to Alaska," he said. + +"Then how am I ever to get home again?" asked the Prince. + +"That is a puzzle," the giant responded, thoughtfully. "I do not see +how you could ride on a bicycle even if you had one, and you certainly +can not walk far in your present condition." + +"Not if the wind blows," acknowledged the Prince. + +"Couldn't you go edgewise?" asked the giant after a moment's +reflection. + +"I might try," answered Fiddlecumdoo, hopefully. + +So the giant stood him up, and he tried to walk edgewise. But whenever +a breath of wind struck him he fell over at once, and several times he +got badly crumpled up, so that the giant had to smooth him out again +with his hands. + +"This certainly will not do at all," declared the giant; "for not only +are you getting wrinkled, but you are liable to be blown away; +altogether. I have just thought of a plan to get you back into the +Valley of Mo again, and when you are in your own country your friends +may get you out of the scrape the best way they can." + +Hartilaf then made the Prince into a neat roll and tied a string around +the middle, to hold it in place. Then he tucked the roll under his arm +and carried it to the top of the mountain that stood between the two +valleys. Placing the Prince carefully on the ground he started him +rolling, and in a short time he had rolled down the mountain side into +the Valley of Mo. + +At first the people were much frightened, not knowing what this strange +thing could be that had come rolling into their midst. They stood +around, curiously looking at the roll, but afraid to touch it, when +suddenly Fiddlecumdoo began to cry out. And then, so fearful was the +sound, they all ran away as fast as their legs could carry them. + +Prince Thinkabit, however, being more courageous than the rest, at last +ventured to approach and cut the string that fastened the roll. +Instantly it opened, and to their amazement the people saw what it was. + +"Upon my word, it is brother Fiddlecumdoo!" cried Prince Thinkabit. +"The giant must have stepped on him." + +"No, indeed," said poor Fiddlecumdoo, "I've been run through a +clothes-wringer, which is much worse than being stepped on." + +With many expressions of pity the kind people stood the Prince up and +helped him to the palace, where the King was greatly shocked at his sad +plight. Fiddlecumdoo was so broad that the only thing he could sit down +on was the sofa, and he was so thin that when Princess Pattycake +sneezed he was blown half way across the room. + +At dinner he could eat nothing that was not sliced as thin as a +shaving, and so sad was his predicament that the King determined to ask +the Wise Donkey what could be done to relieve his unfortunate son. + +After hearing all the particulars of the accident, the Donkey said: +"Blow him up." + +"I did blow him up, for being so careless," replied the King; "but it +didn't make him any thicker." + +"What I mean," explained the Donkey, "is to bore a hole in the top of +his head, and blow air into him until he resumes his natural shape. +Then, if he takes care of himself, he soon will be all right again." + +So the King returned to the palace and bored a hole in Fiddlecumdoo's +head, and then pumped him full of air with a bicycle pump. When he had +filled out into his natural shape they put a plug in the hole, and +stopped it up; and after that Fiddlecumdoo could walk around as well as +before his accident. + +His only danger now was that he might get punctured; and, indeed, his +friends found him one day lying in the garden, all flattened out again, +the Prince having pricked his finger on a rose-bush and thereby allowed +his air to escape. But they inflated him once again, and afterward he +was more careful of himself. + +Fiddlecumdoo had such a horror of being flat that, if his father ever +wished to make him behave, he threatened to stick a pin into him, and +that always had the desired effect. + +After several years, the Prince, being a hearty eater, filled up with +solid flesh, and had no further use for the air-pump; but his +experience had made him so nervous that he never again visited the +giant Hartilaf, for fear of encountering another accident. + + + +_The Twelfth Surprise_ + +THE LAND OF THE CIVILIZED MONKEYS + + +I must now tell you of a very strange adventure that befell Prince +Zingle, which, had it not turned out exactly as it did, might have +resulted in making him a captive for life in a remarkable country. + +By consulting Smith's History of Prince Zingle you will notice that +from boyhood he had a great passion for flying kites, and unlike other +boys, he always undertook to make each kite larger than the last one. +Therefore his kites grew in size, and became larger and larger, until +at length the Prince made one twice as tall as himself. + +When it was finished he was very proud of this great kite, and took it +out to a level place to see how well it would fly, being accompanied by +many of the people of Mo, who took considerable interest in the +Prince's amusement. + +There happened to be a strong south wind blowing and, fearing the kite +might get away from him, Zingle tied the string around his waist. It +flew beautifully at first, but pulled so hard the Prince could scarcely +hold it. + +At last, when the string was all let out, there came a sudden gust of +wind, and in an instant poor Zingle was drawn into the air as easily as +an ordinary kite draws its tail. Up and up he soared, and the kite +followed the wind and carried him over many countries until the +strength died out of the air, when the kite slowly settled toward the +earth and landed the Prince in the top of a tall tree. + +He now untied the string from his waist and fastened it to a branch of +the tree, as he did not wish to lose the kite after all his bother in +making it. + +Then he began to climb down to the ground, but on reaching the lower +branches he was arrested by a most curious sight. + +Standing on the ground, and gazing up at him, were a dozen monkeys, all +very neatly dressed and all evidently filled with surprise at the +Prince's sudden appearance in the tree. + +"What a very queer animal!" exclaimed an old monkey, who wore a tall +silk hat and had white kid gloves on his hands. Gold spectacles rested +on his nose, and he pointed toward the Prince with a gold-headed cane. +By his side was a little girl-monkey, dressed in pink skirts and a blue +bonnet; and when she saw Zingle she clung to the old monkey's hand and +seemed frightened. + +"Oh, grandpapa!" she cried; "take me back to mamma; I'm afraid the +strange beast will bite me." + +Just then a big monkey, wearing a blue coat with brass buttons and +swinging a short club in his hand, strutted up to them and said: + +"Don't be afraid, little one. The beast can't hurt you while I'm +around!" And then he tipped his cap over his left ear and shook his +club at the Prince, as if he did not know what fear meant. + +Two monkeys, who were dressed in red jackets and carried muskets in +their hands, now came running up, and, having looked at Zingle with +much interest, they called for some one to bring them a strong rope. + +"We will capture the brute and put him in the Zoo," said one of the +soldier-monkeys. + +"What kind of animal is it?" asked the other. + +"I do not know. But some of our college professors can doubtless tell, +and even if they can't they will give it some scientific name that will +satisfy the people just as well." + +All this time Prince Zingle remained clinging to the branches of the +tree. He could not understand a word of the monkey language, and +therefore had no idea what they were talking about; but he judged from +their actions that the monkeys were not friendly. When they brought a +long and stout rope, and prepared to throw one end of it over his head, +in order to capture him, he became angry and called out to them: + +"Stop--I command you! What is the meaning of this strange conduct? I am +Prince Zingle, eldest son of the Monarch of Mo, and, since I have been +blown into your country through an accident, I certainly deserve kind +treatment at your hands." + +But this speech had no meaning in the ears of the monkeys, who said to +each other: + +"Hear him bark! He jabbers away almost as if he could talk!" + +By this time a large crowd of monkeys had surrounded the tree, some +being barefooted boy-monkeys, and some lady-monkeys dressed in silken +gowns and gorgeous raiment of the latest mode, and others men-monkeys +of all sorts and conditions. There were dandified monkeys and +sober-looking business monkeys, as well as several who appeared to be +politicians and officials of high degree. + +"Stand back, all of you!" shouted one of the soldiers. "We're going to +capture this remarkable beast for the royal menagerie, and unless you +stand out of the way he may show fight and bite some one." + +So they moved back to a safe distance, and the soldier-monkey prepared +to throw a rope. + +"Stop!" cried Zingle, again; "do you take me for a thief, that you try +to bind me? I am a prince of the royal blood, and unless you treat me +respectfully I shall have my father, the King, march his army on you +and destroy your whole country." + +"He barks louder," said the soldier. "Look out for him; he may be +dangerous." The next moment he threw the rope and caught poor Zingle +around his arms and body, so that he was helpless. Then the +soldier-monkey pulled hard on the rope, and Prince Zingle fell out of +the tree to the ground. + +At first the monkeys all pressed backward, as if frightened, but their +soldiers cried out: + +"We've got him; he can't bite now." + +Then one of them approached the Prince and punched him with a stick, +saying, "Stand up!" + +Zingle did not understand the words, but he resented being prodded with +the stick, so he sprang up and rushed on the soldier, kicking the stick +from his hands, his own arms being bound by the rope. + +The monkeys screamed and rushed in every direction, but the other +soldier came behind the Prince and knocked him down with the butt of +his gun. Then he tied his legs with another rope, and, seeing him thus +bound, the crowd of monkeys, which had scattered and fallen over one +another in their efforts to escape, came creeping timidly back, and +looked on him with fear and trembling. + +"We've subdued him at last," remarked the soldier who had been kicked. +"But he's a very fierce animal, and I shall take him to the Zoo and +lock him in one of the strongest cages." + +So they led poor Zingle away to where the Royal Zoological Gardens were +located, and there they put him into a big cage with iron bars, the +door being fastened with two great padlocks. + +Before very long every monkey in the country learned that a strange +beast had been captured and brought to the Zoo; and soon a large crowd +had gathered before Zingle's cage to examine him. + +"Isn't he sweet!" said a lady-monkey who held a green parasol over her +head and wore a purple veil on her face. + +"Sweet!" grunted a man-monkey standing beside her, "he's the ugliest +looking brute I ever saw! Scarcely has any hair on him at all, and no +tail, and very little chin. I wonder where on earth the creature came +from?" + +"It may be one of those beings from whom our race is descended," said +another onlooker. "The professors say we evolved from some primitive +creature of this sort." + +"Heaven forbid!" cried a dandy-monkey, whose collar was so high that it +kept tipping his hat over his eyes. "If I thought such a creature as +that was one of my forefathers, I should commit suicide at once." + +Zingle had been sitting on the floor of his cage and wondering what was +to become of him in this strange country of monkeys, and now, to show +his authority, one of the keepers took a long stick and began to poke +the Prince to make him stand up. + +"Stop that!" shouted the angry captive, and catching hold of the stick +he jerked it from the keeper's hand and struck him a sharp blow on the +head with it. + +All the lady-monkeys screamed at this, and the men-monkeys exclaimed: + +"What an ugly disposition the beast has!" + +The children-monkeys began to throw peanuts between the bars of the +cage, and Zingle, who had now become very hungry, picked them up and +ate them. This act so pleased the little monkeys that they shouted with +laughter. + +At last two solemn-looking monkeys with gray hair, and wearing long +black coats and white neckties, came up to the cage, where they were +greeted with much respect by the other monkeys. + +"So this is the strange animal," said one of the new-comers, putting on +his spectacles and looking sharply at the captive; "do you recognize +the species, Professor?" + +The other aged monkey also regarded the Prince critically before he +answered: + +"I can not say I have ever seen a specimen of this genus before. But +one of our text-books mentions an obscure animal called Homo +Peculiaris, and I have no doubt this is one of that family. I shall +write an article on the creature and claim he is a Homo, and without +doubt the paper will create quite a stir in the scientific world." + +"See here," suddenly demanded Prince Zingle, standing up and shaking +the bars of his cage, "are you going to give me anything to eat? Or do +you expect me to live on peanuts forever?" + +Not knowing what he said, none of the monkeys paid any attention to +this question. But one of the professor-monkeys appeared to listen +attentively, and remarked to friend: "There seems to be a smoothness +and variety of sound in his speech that indicates that he possesses +some sort of language. Had I time to study this brute, I might learn +his method of communicating with his fellows. Indeed, there is a +possibility that he may turn out to be the missing link." + +However, the professor not yet having learned his language, Prince +Zingle was obliged to remain hungry. The monkeys threw several +cocoanuts into the cage, but the prisoner did not know what kind of +fruit these were; so, after several attempts to bite the hard shell, he +decided they were not good to eat. + +Day after day now passed away, and, although crowds of monkeys came to +examine Zingle in his cage, the poor Prince grew very pale and thin for +lack of proper food, while the continuance of his unhappy imprisonment +made him sad and melancholy. + +"Could I but escape and find my way back to my father's valley," he +moaned, wearily, "I should be willing to fly small kites forever +afterward." + +Often he begged them to let him go, but the monkeys gruffly commanded +him to "stop his jabbering," and poked him with long sticks having +sharp points; so that the Prince's life became one of great misery. + +At the end of about two weeks a happy relief came to Zingle, for then a +baby hippopotamus was captured and brought to the Royal Zoo, and after +this the monkeys left the Prince's cage and crowded around that of the +new arrival. + +Finding himself thus deserted, Prince Zingle began to seek a means of +escape from his confinement. His first attempt was to break the iron +bars; but soon he found they were too big and strong. Then he shook the +door with all his strength; but the big padlocks held firm, and could +not be broken. Then the prisoner gave way to despair, and threw himself +on the floor of the cage, weeping bitterly. + +Suddenly he heard a great shout from the direction of the cage where +the baby hippopotamus was confined, and, rising to his feet, the Prince +walked to the bars and attempted to look out and discover what was +causing the excitement. To his astonishment he found he was able to +thrust his head between two of the iron bars, having grown so thin +through hunger and abuse, that he was much smaller than when the +monkeys had first captured him. He realized at once that if his head +would pass between the bars, his body could be made to do so, likewise. +So he struggled bravely, and at last succeeded in squeezing his body +between the bars and leaping safely to the ground. + +Finding himself at liberty, the Prince lost no time in running to the +tree where he had left his kite. But on the way some of the boy-monkeys +discovered him and raised a great cry, which soon brought hundreds of +his enemies in pursuit. + +Zingle had a good start, however, and soon reached the tree. Quickly he +climbed up the trunk and branches until he had gained the limb where +the string of his kite was still fastened. Untying the cord, he wound +it around his waist several times, and then, finding a strong north +wind blowing, he skilfully tossed the kite into the air. At once it +filled and mounted to the sky, lifting Zingle from the tree and +carrying him with perfect ease. + +It was fortunate he got away at that moment, for several of the monkeys +had scrambled up the tree after him, and were almost near enough to +seize him by the legs when, to their surprise, he shot into the air. +Indeed, so amazed were they by this remarkable escape of their prisoner +that the monkeys remained staring into the air until Prince Zingle had +become a little speck in the sky above them and finally disappeared. + +That was the last our Prince ever saw of the strange country of the +monkeys, for the wind carried his kite straight back to the Valley of +Mo. When Zingle found himself above his father's palace, he took out +his pocket-knife and cut the string of the kite, and immediately fell +head foremost into a pond of custard that lay in the back yard, where +he dived through a floating island of whipped cream and disappeared +from view. + +Nuphsed, who was sitting on the bank of the custard lake, was nearly +frightened into fits by this sight; and he ran to tell the King that a +new meteor had fallen and ruined one of his floating islands. + +Thereupon the monarch and several of his courtiers rushed out and found +Prince Zingle swimming ashore; and the King was so delighted at seeing +his lost son again that he clasped him joyfully in his arms. + +The next moment he regretted this act, for his best ermine robe was +smeared its whole length with custard, and would need considerable +cleaning before it would be fit to wear again. + +The Prince and the King soon changed their clothes, and then there was +much rejoicing throughout the land. Of course the first thing Zingle +asked for was something to eat, and before long he was sitting at a +table heaped with all sorts of good things, plucked fresh from the +trees. + +The people crowded around him, demanding the tale of his adventures, +and their surprise was only equaled by their horror when they learned +he had been captured by a band of monkeys, and shut up in a cage +because he was thought to be a dangerous wild beast. + +Experience is said to be an excellent teacher, although a very cruel +one. Prince Zingle had now seen enough of foreign countries to remain +contented with his own beautiful Valley, and, although it was many +years before he again attempted to fly a kite, it was noticed that, +when he at last did indulge in that sport, the kite was of a very small +size. + + + +_The Thirteenth Surprise_ + +THE STOLEN PLUM-PUDDING + + +The King's plum-pudding crop had for some time suffered from the +devastations of a secret enemy. Each day, as he examined the vines, he +found more and more of the plum-pudding missing, and finally the +monarch called his Wise Men together and asked them what he should do. + +The Wise Men immediately shut their eyes and pondered so long over the +problem that they fell fast asleep. While they slept still more of the +plum-pudding was stolen. When they awoke the King was justly incensed, +and told the Wise Men that unless they discovered the thief within +three days he would give them no cake with their ice-cream. + +This terrible threat at last aroused them to action, and, after +consulting together, they declared that in their opinion it was the Fox +that had stolen the pudding. + +Hearing this, the King ordered out his soldiers, who soon captured the +Fox and brought him to the palace, where the King sat in state, +surrounded by his Wise Men. + +"So ho! Master Fox," exclaimed the King, "we have caught you at last." + +"So it seems," returned the Fox, calmly. "May I ask your Majesty why I +am thus torn from my home, from my wife and children, and brought +before you like any common criminal?" + +"You have stolen the plum-pudding," answered the King. + +"I beg your Majesty's pardon for contradicting you, but I have stolen +nothing," declared the Fox. "I can easily prove my innocence. When was +the plum-pudding taken?" + +"A great deal of it was taken this morning, while the Wise Men slept," +said the King. + +"Then I can not be the thief," replied the Fox, "as you will admit when +you have heard my story." + +"Ah! Have you a story to tell?" inquired the King, who dearly loved to +hear stories. + +"It is a short story, your Majesty; but it will prove clearly that I +have not taken your pudding." + +"Then tell it," commanded the King. "It is far from my wish to condemn +any one who is innocent." + +The Wise Men then placed themselves in comfortable positions, and the +King crossed his legs and put his hands in his pockets, while the Fox +sat before them on his haunches and spoke as follows: + + THE FOX'S STORY. + +"It has been unusually damp in my den of late, so that both my family +and myself have suffered much. First my wife became ill, and then I was +afflicted with a bad cold, and in both cases it settled in our throats. +Then my four children, who are all of an age, began to complain of sore +throats, so that my den became a regular hospital. + +"We tried all the medicines we knew of, but they did no good at all. My +wife finally begged me to go to consult Doctor Prairiedog, who lives in +a hole in the ground away toward the south. So one morning I said good +by to my family and ran swiftly to where the doctor lives. + +"Finding no one outside the hole to whom I might apply for admission I +walked boldly in, and having followed a long, dark tunnel for some +distance, I suddenly came to a door. + +"'Come in!' said a voice; so in I walked, and found myself in a very +beautiful room, lighted by forty-eight fireflies, which sat in a row on +a rail running all around the apartment. In the center of the room was +a table, made of clay and painted in bright colors; and seated at this +table, with his spectacles on his nose, was the famous Doctor +Prairiedog, engaged in eating a dish of stewed snails. + +"'Good morning,' said the Doctor; 'will you have some breakfast?' + +"'No, thank you,' I replied, for the snails were not to my liking; 'I +wish to procure some medicine for my children, who are suffering from +sore throats.' + +"' How do you know their throats are sore?' inquired the Doctor. + +"'It hurts them to swallow,' I explained. + +"'Then tell them not to swallow,' said the Doctor, and went on eating. + +"'Sir!' I exclaimed, 'if they did not swallow, they would starve to +death.' + +"'That is true,' remarked the Doctor; 'we must think of something +else.' After a moment of silence he cried out: 'Ha! I have it! Go home +and cut off their necks, after which you must turn them inside out and +hang them on the bushes in the sun. When the necks are thoroughly cured +in the sun, turn them right-side-out again and place them on your +children's shoulders. Then they will find it does not hurt them to +swallow.' + +"I thanked the great Doctor and returned home, where I did as he had +told me. For the last three days the necks of not only my children but +of my wife and myself, as well, have been hanging on the bushes to be +cured; so we could not possibly have eaten your plum-pudding. Indeed, +it was only an hour ago when I finished putting the neck on the last of +my children, and at that moment your soldiers came and arrested me." + +When the Fox ceased speaking the King was silent for a while. Then he +asked: + +"Were the necks all cured?" + +"Oh, yes," replied the fox; "the sun cured them nicely." + +"You see," remarked the King, turning to his Wise Men; "the Fox has +proved his innocence. You were wrong, as usual, in accusing him. I +shall now send him home with six baskets of cherry phosphate, as a +reward for his honesty. If you have not discovered the thief by the +time I return I shall keep my threat and stop your allowance of cake." + +Then the Wise Men fell a-trembling, and put their heads together, +counseling with one another. + +When the King returned, they said: "Your Majesty, it must have been the +Bullfrog." + +So the King sent his soldiers, who captured the Bullfrog and brought +him to the palace. + +"Why have you stolen the plum-pudding?" demanded the King, in a stern +voice. + +"I! Steal your plum-pudding!" exclaimed the Frog, indignantly. "Surely +you must be mistaken! I am not at all fond of plum-pudding, and, +besides, I have been very busy at home during the past week." + +"What have you been doing?" asked the King. + +"I will tell you, for then you will know I am innocent of this theft." + +So the Bullfrog squatted on a footstool, and, after blinking solemnly +at the King and his Wise Men for a moment, spoke as follows: + + THE FROG'S STORY. + +"Some time ago my wife and I hatched out twelve little tadpoles. They +were the sweetest children parents ever looked on. Their heads were all +very large and round, and their tails were long and feathery, while +their skins were as black and shiny as could be. We were proud of them, +my wife and I, and took great pains to train our children properly, +that they might become respectable frogs, in time, and be a credit to +us. + +"We lived in a snug little hole under the bank of the river, and in +front of our dwelling was a large stone on which we could sit and watch +the baby tadpoles grow. Although they loved best to lie in the mud at +the bottom of the river, we knew that exercise is necessary to the +proper development of a tadpole; so we decided to teach our youngsters +to swim. We divided them into two lots, my wife training six of the +children, while I took charge of the other six. We drilled them to swim +in single file, in column of twos and in line of battle; but I must +acknowledge they were quite stupid, being so young, and, unless we told +them when to stop, they would keep on swimming until they bumped +themselves into a bank or a stone. + +"One day, about a week ago, while teaching our children to swim, we +started them all going in single file, one after the other. They swam +in a straight line that was very pretty to see, and my wife and I sat +on the flat stone and watched them with much pride. Unfortunately at +that very moment a large fish swam into our neighborhood and lay on the +bottom of the river to rest. It was one of those fishes that hold their +great mouths wide open, and I was horrified when I saw the advancing +line of tadpoles headed directly toward the gaping mouth of the monster +fish. I croaked as loudly as I could for them to stop; but either they +failed to hear me, or they would not obey. The next moment all the line +of swimming tadpoles had entered the fish's mouth and were lost to our +view. + +"Mrs. Frog threw herself into my arms with a cry or anguish, +exclaiming: + +"'Oh, what shall we do? Our children are lost to us forever!' + +"'Do not despair,' I answered, although I was myself greatly +frightened; 'we must try to prevent the fish from swimming away with +our loved ones. If we can keep him here, some way may yet be found to +rescue the children.' + +"Up to this time the big fish had remained motionless, but there was an +expression of surprise in its round eyes, as if it did not know what to +make of the lively inhabitants of its stomach. + +"Mrs. Frog thought for a moment, and then said: + +"'A short distance away is an old fish-line and hook, lying at the +bottom of the river, where some boys lost it while fishing one day. If +we could only--' + +"'Fetch it at once,' I interrupted. 'With its aid we shall endeavor to +capture the fish.' + +"She hastened away, soon returning with the line, which had a large +hook on one end. I tied the other end firmly about the flat stone, and +then, advancing cautiously from behind, that the fish might not see me, +I stuck the iron hook through its right gill. + +"The monster gave a sudden flop that sent me head over heels a yard +away. Then it tried to swim down the stream. But the hook and line held +fast, and soon the fish realized it was firmly caught, after which it +wisely abandoned the struggle. + +"Mrs. Frog and I now sat down to watch the result, and the time of +waiting was long and tedious. After several weary days, however, the +great fish lay over on its side and expired, and soon after there +hopped from its mouth the sweetest little green frog you ever laid eyes +on. Another and another followed, until twelve of them stood beside us; +and then my wife exclaimed: + +"'They are our children, the tadpoles! They have lost their tails and +their legs have grown out, but they are our own little ones, +nevertheless!' + +"Indeed, this was true; for tadpoles always become frogs when a few +days old. The children told us they had been quite comfortable inside +the great fish, but they were now hungry, for young frogs always have +wonderful appetites. So Mrs. Frog and I set to work to feed them, and +had just finished this pleasant task when your soldiers came to arrest +me. I assure your Majesty this is the first time I have been out of the +water for a week. And now, if you will permit me to depart, I will hop +back home and see how the youngsters are growing." + +When the Bullfrog had ceased speaking the King turned toward the Wise +Men and said, angrily: + +"It seems you are wrong again, for the Frog is innocent. Your boasted +wisdom appears to me very like folly; but I will give you one more +chance. If you fail to discover the culprit next time, I shall punish +you far more severely than I at first promised." + +The King now gave the Bullfrog a present of a red silk necktie, and +also sent a bottle of perfumery to Mrs. Frog. The soldiers at once +released the prisoner, who joyfully hopped away toward the river. + + +The Wise Men now rolled their eyes toward the ceiling and twirled their +thumbs and thought as hard as they could. At last they told the King +they had decided the Yellow Hen was undoubtedly responsible for the +theft of the plum-pudding. + +So the King sent his soldiers, who searched throughout the Valley and +at last captured the Yellow Hen and brought her into the royal +presence. + +"My Wise Men say you have stolen my plum-pudding," said his Majesty. +"If this is true, I am going to punish you severely." + +"But it is not true," answered the Yellow Hen; "for I have just +returned from a long journey." + +"Where have you been?" inquired the King. + +"I will tell you," she replied; and, after rearranging a few of her +feathers that the rough hands of the soldiers had mussed, the Yellow +Hen spoke as follows: + + THE YELLOW HEN'S STORY + +"All my life I have been accustomed to hatching out thirteen eggs; but +the last time there were only twelve eggs in the nest when I got ready +to set. Being experienced in these matters I knew it would never do to +set on twelve eggs, so I asked the Red Rooster for his advice. + +"He considered the question carefully, and finally told me he had seen +a very nice, large egg lying on the rocks near the sugar mountain. + +"'If you wish,' said he, 'I will get it for you.' + +"'I am very sorry to trouble you, yet certainly I need thirteen eggs,' +I answered. + +"The Red Rooster is an accommodating fowl, so away he flew, and shortly +returned with a large white egg under his wing. This egg I put with the +other twelve, and then I set faithfully on my nest for three weeks, at +the end of which time I hatched out my chickens. + +"Twelve of them were as yellow and fluffy as any mother could wish. But +the one that came from the strange egg was black and awkward, and had a +large bill and sharp claws. Still thinking he was one of my children, +despite his deformity, I gave him as much care as any of them, and soon +he outgrew the others and became very big and strong. + +"The Red Rooster shook his head, and said, bluntly: + +"'That chick will be a great trouble to you, for it looks to me +strangely like one of our enemies, the Hawks.' + +"'What!' I exclaimed, reproachfully, 'do you think one of my darling +children could possibly be a Hawk? I consider that remark almost an +insult, Mr. Rooster!' + +"The Red Rooster said nothing more; but he kept away from my big, black +chick, as if really afraid of it. + +"To my great grief this chick suddenly developed a very bad temper, and +one day I was obliged to reprove it for grabbing the food away from its +brothers. Suddenly it began screaming with anger, and the next moment +it sprang on me, digging its sharp claws into my back. + +"While I struggled to free myself, he flew far up into the air, +carrying me with him, and uttering loud cries that filled me with +misgivings. For I now realized, when it was too late, that his voice +sounded exactly like the cry of a Hawk! + +"Away and away he flew, over mountains, and valleys, and rivers, and +lakes, until at last, as I looked down, I saw a man pointing a gun at +us. A moment later he shot, and the black chick gave a scream of pain, +at the same time releasing his hold of me; so that I fell over and over +and finally fluttered to the ground. + +"Then I found I had escaped one danger only to encounter another, for +as I reached the ground the man seized me and carried me under his arm +to his home. Entering the house, he said to his wife: + +"'Here is a nice, fat hen for our breakfast.' + +"'Put her in the coop,' replied the woman. 'After supper I will cut off +her head and pick the feathers from her body.' + +"This frightened me greatly, as you may suppose, and when the man +placed me in the coop I nearly gave way to despair. But, finding myself +alone, I plucked up courage and began looking for a way to escape. To +my great joy I soon discovered that one of the slats of the coop was +loose, and, having pushed it aside, I was not long in gaining my +liberty. + +"Once free, I ran away from the place as fast as possible, but did not +know in which direction to go, the country being so strange to me. So I +fluttered on, half running and half flying, until I reached the place +where an army of soldiers was encamped. If these men saw me I feared +they would also wish to eat me for breakfast; so I crept into the mouth +of a big cannon, thinking I should escape attention and be safe until +morning. Soon I fell asleep, and so sound was my slumber that the next +thing I heard was the conversation of some soldiers who stood beside +the cannon. + +"'It is nearly sunrise,' said one. 'You must fire the salute. Is the +cannon loaded?' + +"'Oh, yes,' answered the other. 'What shall I shoot at?' + +"' Fire into the air, for then you will not hurt any one,' said the +first soldier. + +"By this time I was trembling with fear, and had decided to creep out +of the cannon and take the chances of being caught, when, suddenly, +'Bang!' went the big gun, and I shot into the air with a rush like that +of a whirlwind. + +"The noise nearly deafened me, and my nerves were so shattered that for +a time I was helpless. I felt myself go up and up into the air, until +soon I was far above the clouds. Then I recovered my wits, and when I +began to come down again I tried to fly. I knew the Valley of Mo must +be somewhere to the west; so I flew in that direction until I found +myself just over the Valley, when I allowed myself to flutter to the +ground. + +"It seems my troubles were not yet over; for, before I had fully +recovered my breath after this long flight, your soldiers seized me and +brought me here. + +"I am accused of stealing your plum-pudding; but, in truth, your +Majesty, I have been away from your kingdom for nine days, and am +therefore wholly innocent." + +The Yellow Hen had scarce finished this story when the King flew into a +violent rage at the deceptions of his Wise Men, and turning to his +soldiers he ordered them to arrest the Wise Men and cast them into +prison. + +Having given the unfortunate Hen a pair of gold earrings that fitted +her ears and matched her complexion, the King sent her home with many +apologies for having accused her wrongfully. + +Then his Majesty seated himself in an easy chair, and pondered how best +to punish the foolish Wise Men. + +"I would rather have one really Wise Man," he said to himself, "than +fifty of these, who pretend to be wise and are not." + +That gave him an idea; so the next morning he ordered the Wise Men +taken to the royal kitchen, where all were run through the meat chopper +until they were ground as fine as mincemeat. Having thoroughly mixed +them, the King stirred in a handful of salt, and then made them into +one man, which the cook baked in the oven until it was well done. + +"Now," said the King, "I have one Wise Man instead of several foolish +ones. Perhaps he can tell me who stole the plum-pudding." + +"Certainly," replied the Wise Man. "That is quite easy. It was the +Purple Dragon." + +"Good," cried the monarch; "I have discovered the truth at last!" + +And so he had, as you will find by reading the next surprise. + + + +_The Fourteenth Surprise_ + +THE PUNISHMENT OF THE PURPLE DRAGON + + +Scarcely had the King spoken when some of his soldiers came running +with news that they had seen the Purple Dragon eating plum-pudding in +the royal garden. + +"What did you do about it?" asked the monarch. + +"We did nothing," they answered; "for, had we interfered with its +repast, the Dragon would probably have eaten us for dessert." + +"That is true," remarked the King. "Yet something must be done to +protect us from this monster. For many years it has annoyed us by +eating our choicest crops, and nothing we can do seems of any avail to +save us from its ravages." + +"If we were able to destroy the Dragon," said Prince Thinkabit, "we +should be doing our country the greatest possible service." + +"We have often tried to destroy it," replied the King, "but the beast +always manages to get the best of the fight, having wonderful strength +and great cunning. However, let us hold a council of war, and see what +is suggested." + +So a council of war was called. The Wise Man, all the Princes and +Noblemen, the Dog and the Wise Donkey being assembled to talk the +matter over. + +"I advise that you build a high wall around the Dragon," said the Wise +Man. "Then it will be unable to get out, and will starve to death." + +"It is strong enough to break down the wall," said the King. + +"I suggest you dig a great hole in the ground," remarked the Donkey. +"Then the Dragon will fall into it and perish." + +"It is too clever to fall into the hole," said the King. + +"The best thing to do," declared Timtom, "is to cut off its legs; for +then it could not walk into our gardens." + +"The scales on its legs are too hard and thick," said the King. "We +have tried that, and failed." + +"We might take a red-hot iron, and put the Dragon's eyes out," ventured +Prince Jollikin. + +"Its eyes are glass," replied the King with a sigh, "and the iron would +have no effect on them." + +"Suppose we tie a tin can to its tail," suggested the Dog. "The +rattling of the can would so frighten the Dragon that it would run out +of the country." + +"Its tail is so long," answered the King, gloomily, "that the Dragon +could not hear the can rattle." + +Then they all remained silent for a time, thinking so hard that their +heads began to ache; but no one seemed able to think of the right thing +to do. + +Finally the King himself made a proposition. + +"One thing we might attempt with some hope of success," said his +Majesty. "Should it fail, we can not be worse off than we are at +present. My idea is for us to go in a great body to the castle of the +Dragon, and pull out its teeth with a pair of forceps. Having no teeth, +the monster will be harmless to annoy us in any way; and, since we seem +unable to kill it, I believe this is the best way out of our +difficulty." + +The King's plan pleased every one, and met with shouts of approval. The +council then adjourned, and all the members went to prepare for the +fight with the Purple Dragon. + +First the blacksmith made a large pair of forceps, to pull the Dragon's +teeth with. The handles of the forceps were so long that fifty men +could take hold of them at one time. Then the people armed themselves +with swords and spears and marched in a great body to the castle of the +Purple Dragon. + +This remarkable beast, which for so long had kept the Valley of Mo in +constant terror, was standing on the front porch of its castle when the +army arrived. It looked at the crowd of people in surprise, and said: + +"Are you not weary with your attempts to destroy me? What selfish +people you must be! Whenever I eat anything that belongs to you, there +is a great row, and immediately you come here to fight me. These +battles are unpleasant to all of us. The best thing for you to do is to +return home and behave yourselves; for I am not in the least afraid of +you." + +Neither the King nor his people replied to these taunts. They simply +brought forward the big pair of forceps and reached them toward the +Dragon. + +This movement astonished the monster, who, never having been to a +dentist in his life, had no idea what the strange instrument was for. + +"Surely you can not think to hurt me with that iron thing," it called +out, in derision. And then the Dragon laughed at the idea of any one +attempting to injure it. + +But when the Dragon opened its mouth to laugh, the King opened the jaws +of the forceps, quickly closing them again on one of the monster's +front teeth. + +"Pull!" cried the King; and fifty men seized the handles of the forceps +and began to pull with all their strength. + +But, pull as they might, the tooth would not come out, and this was the +reason: The teeth of Dragons are different from ours, for they go +through the jaw and are clinched on the other side. Therefore, no +amount of pulling will draw them out. + +The King did not know this fact, but thought the tooth must have a long +root; so he called again: + +"Pull! my brave men; pull!" + +And they pulled so hard that the Dragon was nearly pulled from the +porch of its castle. To avoid this danger the cunning beast wound the +end of its tail around a post of the porch, and tied a hard knot in it. + +"Pull!" shouted the King for the third time. + +Then a surprising thing happened. Any one who knows anything at all +about Dragons is aware that these beasts stretch as easily as if made +of india-rubber. Therefore the strong pulling of the fifty men resulted +in the Dragon being pulled from its foothold, and, as its tail was +fastened to the post, its body began to stretch out. + +The King and his people, thinking the tooth was being pulled, started +down the hill, the forceps still clinging fast to the monster's big +front tooth. And the farther they went the more Dragon's body stretched +out. + +"Keep going!" cried the King; "we mustn't let go now!" And away marched +the fifty men, and farther and farther stretched the body of the +Dragon. + +Still holding fast to the forceps, the King and his army marched into +the Valley, and away across it, and up the hills on the other side, not +even stopping to take breath. When they came to the mountains and the +forests, and could go no farther, they looked back; and behold! the +Dragon had stretched out so far that it was now no bigger around than a +fiddle-string! + +"What shall we do now?" asked the fifty men, who were perspiring with +the long pull and the march across the Valley. + +"I'm sure I don't know," replied the panting King. "Let us tie this end +of the beast around a tree. Then we can think what is best to be done." + +So they tied that end of the Dragon to a big tree, and sat down to +rest, being filled with wonder that the mighty Purple Dragon was now no +larger around than a piece of twine. + +"The wicked creature will never bother us again," said the King. "Yet +it was only by accident we found a way to destroy it. The question now +is, what shall we do with this long, thin Dragon? If we leave it here +it will trip any one who stumbles against it." + +"I shall use it for fiddle-strings," said Prince Fiddlecumdoo, "for the +crop failed this year, and I have none for my violin. Let us cut the +Dragon up into the proper sizes, and store the strings in the royal +warehouse for general use." + +The King and the people heartily approved this plan. So the Prince +brought a pair of shears and cut the Dragon into equal lengths to use +on his violin. Thus the wicked monster was made good use of at last, +for the strings had an excellent tone. + +And that was not only the end of the Purple Dragon, but there were two +other ends of him; one tied to a tree in the mountains and the other +fastened to a post of the castle. + +That same day the Monarch of Mo gave a magnificent feast to all his +people to celebrate the destruction of their greatest foe; and ever +afterward the gardens of the Beautiful Valley were free from +molestation. + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SURPRISING ADVENTURES OF THE +MAGICAL MONARCH OF MO AND HIS PEOPLE*** + + +******* This file should be named 16259.txt or 16259.zip ******* + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/6/2/5/16259 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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